Green Tongue
by BookDragon
Summary: Sequel to Wings of Leaves. PG13 for language. Haven't written for a while, so bare with me...its about Bakura's youngest daughter who has not only her mother's powers...but now the ring...how will she cope with the TombRobber? Complete
1. Default Chapter

**Book Dragon**: "Alright. I've been writing this story out for over more than a year now. I wanted to finish it before I aired it, just so I didn't stall for every long periods of time or just to forget the story, but I've gotten to the point where I have it all him fragments in my mind. Even though it's not totally finished, about 90 of it is. So, in that regard, I will be updating this story ever three days, even if no one reviews."

**Book Dragon**: "So, with that, I'd like to introduce a sequel to Wings of Leaves. The best thing about this story, though, is that you don't really need to read the first story. Actually, it may be more suspenseful if you haven't read the first one…so please enjoy this."

Green Tongue

Chapter 1: Moving Day

The wind was strong that day. Lightly brushing back the reddish leaves from view as they drifted lightly off, spinning to the ground with full grace, ridding on the back of the cold breeze, into the crimson ball flaming downward, out of the sky, to sleep and rise the next day, like every other day, for as long as how ever long forever is.

She didn't care how long that would be.

In the fiery colored leaves, the only leaves that had changed so oddly in the beginning of summer, as if anticipating a harsh winter, shaking and dancing around her head happily, like the usual autumns, she sat up high in the tree. Even now she was not afraid of falling again like the first time she had shimmed up the bark and placed herself onto a branch to ball her eyes out. Her mother had died that day, the day she had fall years ago, and she had been only about eight years old then, not at all nimble as her mother once had been, but fast enough. That had been a day every much like the one occurring around her now, most perfect setting for the beginning of something new, also usual. The perfect day for her birthday.

She looked white as a ghost and depressed into the shining crimson of paper like substance. It hadn't noticed how upset she was, leaning against the biggest branch and holding her knees as if cold, but instead keeping her from going into a break down. The tree was content with her presence, no matter how she felt at the time, being around her comforted it, as it did her. But what it didn't know was that she would be going away soon, and this would most likely be the last time they ever 'talked', so she would treasure this moment and hope that no one would have the nerve to cut down her tree. It would be like killing her only childhood friend, and even though it was a least a hundred years older than her, it gave off the kind of feeling of teenage youth. They had grown up together in an odd sort of way, pouring the bad parts of each other's day and cheering each other up. She hadn't realized it until now, which made her feel a bit selfish, but it stroked her tear covered face, licking up the salty water onto it's leaves, cooing her and almost asking what was the matter, like always.

"Oh Beore," She had always called it this, she knew trees were unsexed, but it was a great comfort to think of it as male instead of female, which most the girls around her were to her dislike. That and it meant Birch Tree in English; it turned very white in the snow around it even though it was an oak tree. "I'm leaving soon, to go somewhere very far away…I'm not sure if I'll even ever return. I'm sorry, but it seems this it gonna be our last time together, bucko." The cherry red leaves prickled uncomfortably around her, making her sense that it was already mourning her leaving.

"Cheer up. I'll be okay. I think you'll have more time chatting with your tree buddies anyway." She felt the Beore's equivalent to laughing in the slight vibrations of the branches.

"Aunt Marie will still be here to take care of you. I'll try to get her to read you some of the letters I'll be sending to you…hopefully she won't think me too crazy…I'll tell her it helps you guys grow." She knew Aunt Marie wouldn't question her on this, I mean she had her mother's gift, her mother's green thumb she called it. Too many summers that she had pissed off the blades of grass into growing out of control, entangling up in a lawn mower or any pair of scissors that tried to tame the horrible mess until finally she would apologize and it would suddenly wither. It was just that the grass could be so annoying, always shouting at the top of their little voices all in unison, "growing, Growing, GROWNING!" and then the lawnmower would come a decapitate them so they would scream at the top of their…what ever they used to speak with.

But she wasn't so annoyed with the screaming vegetation growing on her front lawn this morning.

"KAEDE! IT'S TIME TO LEAVE!" She frowned at the voice, and turned back to Beore again, patting the bark one last time.

"Sorry it had to be like this. I don't want to leave. I don't want to see my father…not _now_." She felt tears starting to stir, but held them back, and controlled herself.

"I'll come back. I promise." A huge vivid orange leave stroked her check, then snapped off and floated down in front of her. She blinked a moment, then smiled, as she carefully picked it up and moved her white locks out of the way.

"Thank you, but I wish I could do something for you to remember me by…" She froze a moment, then quickly drew out her pocket knife and carefully cut a lock of her white hair and carefully tied it to one of the branches. She wasn't sure how long it would last, but the leaf wouldn't last long ether; guess it was the thought that counted. Then, she placed the leaf into her hair and put the knife back and patted the tree again.

"Remember me, old friend." The tree groaned and creaked, saying its farewell all the way down until she was on the ground.

"KAEDE!"

"I'll be there in a moment!" She yelled and stroked it one last time.

"Good-bye, Beore." It stirred again, but only a little. She turned sadly and walked away.

"Now you listen to me-!"

"Yes, yes, I am not to go near your children unless of some danger, then I have to be disguised, we've gone over this, Bakura." Bakura looked at the being in front of him anxiously. The young teenager looked at him smugly, brown liquid eyes full of wisdom but gleams of loathing, biting his pointed teeth into an emerald apple, letting the juice gush out in spray of vapors.

"It's very clear to me." Bakura looked uneasily at him, knowing it wasn't that simple, that he had left some sort of loophole without thinking of it. His mind wasn't as sharp as it had been in the old days. He felt rickety and frail almost all the time, as if too much worry was placed upon him, his brown eyes were foggy but somehow still bright. He had a few gray hairs mixed in with his white, making it look silver. He was getting old.

"Would you like to sit down? You've been standing for more than two hours; an old man like yourself needs his rest…" The young teenager said, licking his lips of extra droplets. Bakura glared at him, hating the old insults he was getting more and more frequently. He was forty-one, a time when his father said he'd really start to live, and start to have adventures. Sorry, dad, those days are over.

"I don't see why you don't get any older; you've got to be thousands of years before my time, not that looking like young jackass ever bothered me." A flash of distaste flew across the youth's face, but he controlled it, and placidly turned his eyes to the sky.

"The famous Tomb Robber's tongue tied?"

"You know ever well." Bakura said nothing to his comment. He knew _very_ well, but now was not the time for memories. His children were coming to live with him; they were finally old enough to come back to him. It was a strange feeling he hadn't felt for a very long time. He never could, ever since his wife died-

No! Now what not a time for depressing memories! He had to get things ready for his children. That included his emotional state.

He quickly left the room, smiling at the thought of hugging his children again instead of the amount of housework needing to be done. His necklace, a right with five long cones made of gold swung and jingled, the triangle in the middle sparkled and the eye in the middle of that stared on bleakly. Bakura ignored the grumbling behind him and quickly fetched some rags and mops out of the closet.

Kaede was irritated. Christa and Auntie Marie wouldn't shut up about their first boyfriends and love-sick memories. Christa's voice musically filled the car with every tone, almost making you think she was singing instead of talking. She always spoke this way. It enchanted all the boys in school, meaning she was always too busy entertaining them with her body, gorgeous chocolate brown eyes, china pale pretty face, and smooth long brown hair that swished in all the right ways, to even have time for her little sister. But, no matter how much her voice caused trouble, Kaede always never actually hated it. It was too wonderful to hate.

But Matsimela, or Mat as he was nicknamed, always found a way to hate everything. He sat fumingly digging his nails in the side of the car door, setting his glaring hazel eyes on the dashboard, letting his short yet somehow spiky brown hair ruffle in the wind. Kaede always envied his hair over the white mess on her head. She was the odd ball of the family. Everyone had brown hair but her. She didn't even have a clue where she got it from, and cursed the relation that gave her the gene. She had always wanted to have Mat's hair. It wasn't too girly, and it wasn't too boyish. The spikes were natural, and definitely as Kaede put it as 'awesome spikes'. She would have too him this too annoy him if he wasn't so incredibly agitated right now. He always did have the short temper, and right now he was trying very hard to control it.

"Oh, cheer up Matsimela! We're almost there." Her Aunt said, sparing him a glance as she drove.

"Don't _call_ me that! It's Mat!" He spat with a gruff voice, giving Aunt Marie a side ways glare.

"Ohhh. Don't be so angry, Matsimela is a very…interesting name. It's Egyptian you know…means 'roots'…Ryelle always did like planting…" Mat hooked his arms in and pouted angrily like a little boy that had just been out classed. Christa looked at him wonderingly over bright red lipstick she started to apply using the mirror in the front seat. Kaede averted her eyes away from the lipstick in disgust and hampered closer to the car door out of Mat's reach as she looked at the back of her Aunt's head.

"What does my name mean? Is it Egyptian too?" Kaede had always liked Egypt. She knew her grandfather had traveled there once, and came back with something for her father, a special gift that she had always wanted to see; she wondered if he still had it.

"No dear," Aunt Marie said, making Kaede a little disappointed, "Your name is Japanese, actually, and it means 'maple leaf '… Maple trees were always your mother's favorite."

"Guess that would've made you mama's little _girl_!" Mat sneered playfully. Kaede ignored Christa's look and jabbed her big brother in the arm without success. He was too fast, made clean nudge to her leg. Kaede laughed and so started a mini play-battle between the youngest and the oldest. Aunt Marie could be heard giggling in the front seat at them as Christa rolled her eyes with the deepest muttering something about 'foolishness' as she examined her face again.

The fight continued growing in size from play jabs to finally throwing stuff. It was brought to a halt when a roadmap hit the back of Christa's head for the third time she screamed for them to stop. Aunt Marie agreed with her, unfortunately. Kaede and Mat both pouted in the back seat as Christa started chattering about Nick, a recent boy-toy, as she puffed up her hair. Through the useless talk Kaede glanced at Mat and waited until she caught his eye. Then she muttered.

"What was dad like?" She whispered as quietly as her voice would allow. She didn't want her Aunt to but in and tell her more lies. For some reason, Aunt Marie was always lying about why they were sent away. You could tell when she lied, her mouth always twitched and her eyes were always downcasted; it was easy to tell when she said she didn't remember saying Christa could have a sleepover; she said it had to do with how her mother thought of him and it was a sudden separation, but that was unbelievable. Her Aunt said they loved each other every much, and she didn't know what she saw in him. Her lips never twitched when she said that.

When she got old enough, she asked Mat about this and he said their dear Aunty was probably jealous. And so the theory quietly stuck.

"Well," Mat began in the same tone, "I don't remember him that much…I was only three when we left. Mom was pregnant with you…and Christa was only one." He paused, straining his brain. Kaede stayed on the edge of her seat; no matter how many times Mat told her about their father, she always found it exciting.

"All I remember is a pair of legs I use to climb around on the floor when he tried to get around…I _think_ he was tall…that's really it."

"Are you _sure?!_ Really, really, really, really sure?" Mat shrugged. Then added quickly, "We'll know as soon as we get there." He grinned a fake smile and began to nervously jerk his thumbs as he turned back out the window. Kaede turned back and looked out the window, watching the country side diminishing slowly ahead of them, and turning into a large labyrinth of soaring skyscrapers and office buildings. The world as she knew it was disappearing behind them, zooming away from her green world too quickly for any understanding. She was missing Beore.

The house was extremely…unusual. Putting it into nice standards that is, most likely how Aunt Marie had always put it. To the three siblings it was down right bizarre.

It stood three floors high, looming above the somewhat small bit of lawn, with large paneled glass windows on each floor, with faded red bricks engulfed with green vines all growing together along side of the right wing. It looked staggering in the huge amounts of daylight pouring onto the building, and welcomed them with the long stretching asphalt driveway at their feet. A huge tinted green-house was placed on the right side (probably why the vines were out of control), and that was a blaze with emerald plants, also pleasing their eyes. The glass gleamed a turquoise hue, haughtily, taking all the glory from the crimson building. Except the most intriguing thing about it that is. Particularly the biggest tree any one of them had ever seen perched snuggly on the third floor, its canopy so large that the roof had several large holes plugged up with dark brown branches and thousands of sparkling jade leaves. Perhaps, Kaede wouldn't be so lonely here.

The three were left in awe, with mouths gabbing. Aunt Marie looked it over distastefully, and with a sniff, didn't bat an eye as she slowly started forward, mumbling, 'come along children'. The words were lost to their ears, their amazement had blocked them, but it was quickly brought back when she commanded it a bit louder, making them jump.

Mat had been first to react and started walking forward in a brisk edgy treading, followed my Kaede's rapid stamping until she finally clung to the back of his shirt, pursued my Christa's steady and composted steps.

In a strange line they walked to the house. Kaede stayed behind Mat, holding on to the bottom of his favorite blue shirt, making horrible stretch marks, as she took fading glimpses of the soon-to-be home. It was strange, how something filled with so much beauty could actually look frightening. Its cheery nature was like any home, calm and receiving, yet intimidating. Suppose it was because she was worrying too much. Her eyes darted to Mat's disturbed completion, to Christa's worried lip biting, to Aunt Marie's sour look. This was plainly not the look you give to the sight of your home.

She was trying very hard to ignore the grass muttering. It was small high pitched whispers making her the most nervous. What was said was beyond her, for their voices as elevated as they were, were in fact, not understandable. Smart grass. Given if her family wasn't here she would've bent down and asked them how the sunlight was, just to be on the polite side, it is a bad thing if you screw up with your grass.

No matter what they were saying it made no difference when they approached the front door, which opened with a bang before they could take the first concrete stair laid out before them hugely. It seemed everything about the house was big. Everyone jumped at the sudden bang and the man who occupied the doorway.

He was tall, sort of scrawny sort of thin man. He wore a pair of faded jeans and a button up shirt, with the sleeves rolled back on his arms. He would've looked like a gardener if he didn't wear a red tie. That and the color of his hair. They all were immediately drawn to the snow like spikes bushing up from his head that gently flowed very long onto his back. So that's where she got her locks. Kaede noticed a few glances from her siblings at her hair, probably comparing. She ignored him.

The man started down the stairs, quickly at a fast pace, like a school boy meeting his father after a long year at boarding school. A thirteen year long semester. He could be seen beaming as his feet nimbly climbed down the last few steps and met the same ground they treaded on. His pale face had a large grin on it and his chocolate eyes (a lot like Christa's) shinned enthusiastically. He looked pleased, beyond pleased, as he stared at Mat and Christa. He looked like all his dreams had come true. Kaede found it a bit freaky.

"Ahem." He blinked back to reality and looked at their Aunt respectfully and bowed.

"Marie."

"Bakura." Marie briefly hugged the man, taking the wind out of him a moment, and quickly parted from him.

"I see you have been taking good care of my children. I thank you for that."

"I would do it again if I had the chance." And for the first time she set foot on the premises she smiled. The man smiled back. After a moment's pause, she quickly turned to them.

"…And these are your children." Bakura looked at them warmly.

"This," Aunt Marie said, as she took hold of Christa, "Is your first daughter."

"A pleasure, father." She curtseyed and hugged the white-haired man daintily, who accepted and hugged back.

"This is your son Matsimela." Mat held out his hand, looking cautiously at the gentlemen.

"It's Mat…I like to be called Mat." The man looked at the hand and shook it carefully.

"Mat." He repeated sincerely.

"And…where's Kaede?" Her Aunt asked finally. Kaede peeked out from behind her brother.

"Here." She said as calmly as possible. The man studied her a moment, looking her face over with large brown eyes and a small smile. Kaede felt Mat's hand grab the back of her shirt, making her look up to his disgusted face, as he shoved her forward from behind him. Fully exposed, she felt like she would've cried, if she hadn't been taken by surprise as the man took her up off the ground and into a deep hug. Kaede was spun around for a moment, smelling the not so gross sweat around his neck with a shocked silence, and finally placed on the ground gently and wobbly, when he then kissed her gently on the check. She stood there with large eyes, watching him hug Mat with a strong grip and kiss him, and turn to Christa doing the same. Even to Aunt Marie, not being the type of lady this happened to often, and whispered something about being very thankful. When he finally was done he properly welcomed them.

"Welcome! Please, I've kept you out for too long…we have much to discuss! Please, please! Come in! Come in!" He took Mat by the shoulder and carefully climbed back up the steps, toward the door, with Aunt Marie and Christa in pursued. Kaede stayed where she was a moment, and watched them enter the house. When they were out of sight, she took her chance and bent down quickly.

"Hello. My name is Kaede. I'm very pleased to meet you…and if this wasn't such a short greeting, I would've liked to sit with you the whole morning and talk…but I've got to get to know my…father. I hope to be chatting to you later!" She sputtered all this as fast and politely as she could, scaring the waste out of the green blades, and as fast as wind stumbled up the stairs, white Nike shoes blurred with speed.

The inside of the house was what you'd find in any normal home. The door opened to reveal a large hall way with a large staircase. It turned in square boxes leading to the second floor, acting one's eyes when they entered. To the right a door opening exposed a large homely living room with five bookshelves, a coffee table, two very old looking couches, and a small TV. Further down the hall the four of them followed Bakura in a huddle, Kaede behind Mat again and staring at the pictures as her father rambled. Most of them we're paintings of all sorts of things like parks, plants, beaches, and people. One of the most intriguing ones was of a man.

He was painted in great detail, in a white robe, with an equally white turban. His skin was an olive color and giant think gold hoops dangling from his ears. He had a stern face and completely emotionless expression. How that worked she wasn't sure, the seriousness came from his straight mouth and checks. His black eye-shadowed orbs made him look emotionless. He had the vaguest bluest eyes she had very seen. The more she stared the more endless and vague they became. Another odd quality the immediately caught her eye was the fact that he was wearing an odd looking object around his neck. It wasn't like a necklace you'd find on a woman. It seemed more like a sort of amulet in the painting due to the careful brush marks. It was definitely golden and looked a lot like a cross but she could tell it wasn't. It was a loop at the top, where the cord was strung through, and the middle pole stopped and continued in a smaller pole. It seemed more like a very small staff with one large bone shaped piece of gold melted into it. The ending was unfortunately cut off in the painting.

Kaede frowned at this, but was latterly yanked from it when her brother came to find her, and lead her into the kitchen, which too was almost normal. It had these very large wooden shelves on the right wall, which were stuffed with things like plates and little figures. It wasn't very interesting. She actually found herself disappointed with the house. The bland table, cabinets, and sinks. That would be followed up with boring living room, basement, and second floor bed rooms. The wide green house, however, was bursting with sounds and smells, to Kaede anyway. She would've loved to see more of the slight glimpse she got, and of course, spend the rest of the afternoon in there had it not been for her brother yet again, pulling her along in a bored manor. The tour eventually ended when they all retired to the kitchen again. Bakura had offered to make coffee for Aunt Marie. She never passed up coffee this early in the morning. Christa and Mat pasted on it. Kaede, however, found the taste rather interesting. Only of course loaded with about ten sugar packets and filling about a fifth of the cup with cream.

She sipped her cup carefully as she walked out of the room, obeying her Aunt's request to let the grown ups talk. Being thirteen, this was a bit of an insult, but she really didn't want to hear them fight less than one day into her new home. She eventually, after some major exploring of the attic and closets everywhere, back at the little part of the green house, sitting amongst the plants, listening to their leafy voices singing and talking, at peace.

Yes. This would be an interesting place to live; she deiced as she took a gulp of cooling coffee, wondering what to do later, whether or not to annoy Mat or to just ask her Aunt about the painting of the Egyptian. Maybe later, after a couple of weeks, she would feel comfortable enough to ask her father about it. After all, she had to ask about that object. But that was for later. For now, the two bickering marigolds were interesting enough.

Book Dragon: "And so ends the every first chapter… I would very much appreciate reviews, but this will update despite them. I am nothing going to give up on this story, it is a sure thing. Thank you for reading! I will update in three days!"


	2. Old Friend

Book Dragon: frowns "Hmm…no reviews. No matter. Next chappy."

Chapter 2: Old Friend

The first week was a frightening one. Aunt Marie stayed over the weekend in the house and made sure they got use to living with their dad. It was peculiar. He had set rooms for all of them, including Aunty. Some how he must have known ahead of time that she would be staying with them a while. He let them choose their rooms. Mat chose the large room on the right of the hallway and Christa choose the tiny room on the left. Aunt Maria took the room next door to Christa's, it was cramped but in an odd way homey. Kaede, not caring much in the first place, took the last room gratefully. Her room was medium sized, with a twin size bed and very large puffy blue blankets. Her walls were a creamy color, like her siblings, and also had a small closet and desk and a small mirror on that. There was even a small green rug over the polished wood floor that pleased her. The first thing she did was examine the closet. The knob turned easily, and the inside was vacant except a few shoe boxes way in the back. She opened these and found only mothballs and tissue paper. Satisfied, she took off her shoes and promptly threw herself onto the bed, letting it bounce under her weight, and stared at the odd designs of the ceiling created by the paint brushes while Mat started blasting his music on the other side of the wall, rattling her new desk. She ignored his binging and pinging, and quickly started to unpack the clothes from her suitcase, which she had thrown up there earlier.

After she stuffed the few t-shirts and jeans and the many, many, many pairs of socks into all the drawers she thought about going to see the grass again. She wasn't completely sure she wanted to meet any other plants until she was actually comfortable. However, as she was thinking this, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." Christa opened and shut the door behind her gracefully and almost quietly.

"I wanted to see how you were doing." She said as she sat on Kaede's bed and looked around her room.

"Your room's bigger."

"Yeah, I know. What do you want?" Christa looked surprised.

"What makes you think I want anything? Why can't I just say hi to my little sister?"

"Because you never do. You hate it here. I can see it on your face." Kaede said matter-of-factly, and went over to rearrange her clothes again to keep herself busy while Christa was here.

"It's true! How did you know?" Christa asked her eagerly.

"Easy, there are no shopping malls in sight, and there are no handsome boys living next door." Kaede said, while stuffing her socks into another empty drawer.

"I resent that."

"But it's true." Christa wrung her hands a little, and snorted with annoyance.

"I've got better things to listen to than your sass!" She said lightly and slammed her door on the way out, leaving Kaede muttering the word 'sass' in confusion.

The third day she had to help dad in the garden. Kaede was happy to go, since the grass seemed sort of timid of her…must have been something she said. Mat also came with them, mostly because he had nothing better to do, or that's what he said. She knew he was lying. He probably wanted to get to know dad a little more. Kaede in her own little way did too. Christa had been offered to, but she refused. She didn't like to get dirty much. That and Aunty was taking her shopping. Nothing wins out over shopping. Except dating.

The rest of the green house was more spectacular on the inside than the outside. The bit of forestry she had experienced earlier had been nothing compared to the main room. Every inch of space, but the walk ways, was consumed in potted plants of all types and flowers. There were sunflowers, daisies, roses, lilac, marigolds, foxgloves, and even a few small maple trees. The scents intoxicated her senses with the first step, making her feel a little light headed. The only thing keeping her on planet earth was the range of voices chorusing and babbling in the tinted heated room. Her eyes darted from plant to plant as she flexed her fingers nervously in her gardening gloves. Mat looked over all the foliage and glanced at dad, noticing him smiling as he started out along the path, his offspring following.

"I do wish your sister would have reconsidered, gardening helps you unwind after a long day, or that's what your mother use to say." He gave them a smile and stopped, watering a purple tulip with his watering can.

"She doesn't like plants every much…" Mat told him, waving his watering can as he talked. Kaede muttered a few 'your welcomes' to the plant life that got splashed.

"She thinks its dirty work." Dad nodded, bouncing his white locks. Mat started to water a patch of near by clovers, and Kaede copied him quickly by tipping her watering can on some spongy type plant she didn't know the name of. Perhaps out of boredom or that fact he was trying hard to make conversation with a man he hadn't seen for practically his whole life, Mat added.

"You know, Kaede is obsessed with plants. Sometimes I even find her talking to them." Kaede winced at this information and wondered why her brother had said that. She turned to give him a look but found Dad staring at her with fascination and wonderment.

"Do you really?" Some what speechless she nodded and turned back to her work.

"Yes, I like plants…and I've heard talking to them helps them grow…" She said slowly.

She more than liked plants. She had the gift of speech with them, after all. She often joked with herself that instead of a green thumb she had a green tongue. She wasn't sure how she could actually speak with them, since she had learned they didn't have brains or mouths. She often wondered that maybe they could speak because they had souls and settled on that answer.

She missed the pot all together and spattered water on the floor, causing the leaves on her particular plant to shutter as it shouted how much on an idiot she was.

"Sorry." She uttered and gave it an extra little trickle of water. The conversation varied after that, from the different types of plants and what medical uses some of them had what kinds of flowers look and smell good, and how to take care of them. Mat was talking just to keep Dad talking of course, he didn't like planting very much, and Kaede was too scared to make much of an effort. Mat seemed disgusted with her for that.

"Many types of collie-flower can be used as-Hello!" Kaede jumped at Mat's sudden out burst and turned in time to see a black thing disappear under one of the plant infested tables with the sound of scattered underbrush.

"What was that?" Mat asked anxiously, more curious than afraid. Dad looked at him warily as he glanced at the floor at where the thing had been.

"I…don't know. Probably one of the cats that like to intrude the garden." And as if on cue, a small black cat emerged from the top of a table, poking out of the small rose bush and staring at them with a pair of big brown eyes.

"See." Dad hesitantly looked at the cat and went back to his work. Mat stared back at the cat wonderingly and then asked.

"How did he get _in_ here?" Dad shrugged.

"Don't know, he just does…" After another brief glance, Mat went back to work. Kaede looked at the animal a little longer, until it looked straight at her, blinked, and ducked back into the bush and disappeared.

That night she had a nightmare. It wasn't a wake up screaming kind of dream, but a sort of learning someone had gotten you. It was vague in her memory when she rose sleepily from her bed. Something about a large black…thing chasing her no matter where she turned. A classic run until you trip and fall but not get eaten when you are caught. In fact, she probably would've forgotten it if she didn't hear a loud smash and some cursing from across the hall. A sort of curious yet worried feeling poured over her like a bucket of cold water, peeling her eyes wide as she scurried to the door and threw it open.

Christa was shouting something loud, and rushing about with a broom. It would have been funny if something jet black didn't come flying out of the room and down the stairs faster than lightning. Then it was easy to be reminded of what had been hunting you in your sleep. Kaede shivered as she pushed the thought aside and heard her father running up the stairs.

"What is it?!" He asked wildly at the top of the stairs, wearing blue pajamas and standing in bare feet, looking concerned and…tired. He had large purple bags under his eyes, which seemed striking since his face was always so pale.

"OOohhh! There was a mangy dog in my room!!!" She was starting to burst into tears. Dad walked carefully over to her, hair tied back and bouncing, and took her in his arm and said comforting things. Mat finally opened his door and took one step out of his room and saw them, noticed Kaede, and gave her a curious look. Kaede shrugged and gestured, to the best of her ability, they needed to go outside. Mat nodded, somehow understanding the mess of jerking hand movements, and disappeared into his room. Kaede quietly shut her door after her sister and father disappeared slowly down the stairs and started pulling out clothes, jumping into a fresh pair of socks, unmentionables, a blue t-shirt, and an old ragged pair of jeans. She took her shoes and was about to slam her door when Mat caught it, hit her squarely on top of the head like older siblings do when their younger sister/brother does something stupid, and wildly shook his head. He pointed to his sneakers in his hands and made a motion. She nodded and held her footwear in case of making any noise while she crept down the stairs behind Mat. She noticed him giving off a confused look at the steps, the kind of look you see in Math classes during algebra lessons, which was strange to see on his face, since he was actually excellent at algebra.

From off the stairs they snuck quietly down the hall, passing a few book filled rooms and many pictures. They ignored these, as they were now accustomed, and where about five feet away from the door when an erupting cries of anger busted down the hall faster than wind and caused the teens to panic, throwing the door open with a loud bang, and running through the lawn. It wasn't until several blocks and at least a hundred gasping treads did Kaede sit on the sidewalk, exhausted, while Mat was holding his knees and calming himself down. It was a while until they had the breath to say anything.

"I think that was Aunt Marie..." Kaede said.

"Yeah, that did sound like her shouting." Mat agreed.

"But what was she angry about?"

"Probably found out what happened to Christa and going in on Dad…we shouldn't stay here." Kaede nodded and stood up.

They didn't speak again until they were safely out of range of their home. For some reason, every time Kaede tried to pursue their conversation, he would shake his head and say, "Not yet."

When they finally reached the busy edge of town are were about three blocks in, did Mat start to talk.

"She doesn't like dad very much…our Aunt I mean, I think she blames him for what happened to Mum." Kaede said nothing to this, for she did have nothing to say. Mat was perceptive to this; he was quick with these sorts of matters.

"There is something that is bothering me."

"What would that be?"

"Well," Mat began, "Dad did come up the stairs when he came to see Christa, right?"

"Yeah."

"And the…dog, I heard it run down the stairs…wouldn't have he seen it?"

"Yes, he probably would have."

"Then why didn't he shout or curse or even say something in surprise if he didn't know it was there? I think Dad maybe hiding something…" Kaede turned incredulously to him.

"Dad? Hiding something? What would he have to hide?"

"I don't know…maybe it has to do with Mom and him breaking up."

"Aunt Marie said that was because of a fight…"

"Did _you_ ever believe that?" Kaede looked at her shoes feeling stupid.

"…no."

"I don't either." Mat agreed.

"Maybe it has to do with the fact the house use to be a library."

"Where did you hear that?!" Mat exclaimed. Kaede bit her tongue hard and wished she hadn't said anything.

"…I have my sources."

"Your sources, huh? No, really, where?" Kaede said nothing. Mat casted an amused but annoyed look at her.

"Tell me or I'll do what I almost did on my eleventh birthday."

"Then you're going to have to dunk my head in the toilet. I _never_ reveal my sources." Mat laughed aloud.

"You're worse than an editor of a newspaper! Fine then, all the better when I figure it out." Kaede would have to be more careful with the info the tulips said.

"Hey guys!" Mat and Kaede turned around and found someone bumping through the crowd, swinging her arms out as she jogged, catching a few of the waiters at the near by coffee shop.

"What are you doing here?" Mat asked Christa as she approached in an irritated voice.

"Aunty told me to go out." Kaede and Mat looked at each other.

"…What is it?"

They explained the whole story, walking down the sidewalk, with their hands carefully buried in their pockets, ignoring the staring eyes and murmurs of their fellow city dwellers.

"Hmmm…are you positive that you aren't making a big deal out of nothing? I mean, Dad's a little…

"A little what?"

"Well…he's a little bit too trusting."

"Of course he's trusting! We're the kids he hasn't seen for ten years!" Mat exclaimed, removing his hands up in the air. "He hasn't had to raise us; he doesn't know how to be a father!" Christa and Kaede were silent to this. They stared at him with wide eyes, unbelieving eyes, like he had shouted a swear at the top of his lungs.

"Err…damn it you two!" He snarled and turned around fast to run, but stopped with a jerk.

Right in front of him, was a large black cat, staring with huge brown eyes at him. They started at each other for a moment, just gazed, and Mat quickly stepped over it and started sprinting around the corner and out of sight. Kaede raised her foot to run, but Christa held an arm, blocking her path.

"Let him go." Christa said. Kaede looked at her curiously, but placed her foot back down.

Christa turned back her face with a 'don't ask me' look on her face and turned back, eyes on the cat.

"Oh what a cutie!" She baby talked. Kaede shook her head; it was just like Christa to change so fast. It's what made her unpredictable, and with about twenty lost relationships.

Christa strode over to the cat and picked it up, cuddling in her arms, and cooing things, rubbing her face against its blue tinged fur. Kaede pretend not to know her and let her hands twitch deep inside her pockets. Personally, the cat looked just like the one her and Mat had seen yesterday, and that made her stomach lurched every so slightly. She started to walk, better to try and forget about it than throw up. Christa followed and then caught up. They walked, shoulder to shoulder.

"Hey! Do you wanta go to the mall?"

"No." Christa frowned.

"But…I don't want to go alone…it's not as fun."

"Standing around watching you look at clothes isn't at all fun…besides, you just made a new best friend, take _him_ with you."

"Very funny, Kaede…hey, how did you know it was a guy cat? Have you seen him before?"

"No."

"_Oh_," Christa suddenly squealed and nudged her in the shoulder, "Did you just see that guy in the coffee shop?! He winked at me!"

"Every male on the planet winks at you, Christa."

"Yeah, but he was so _cute_!" And so the conversation jumped, from begging for Kaede to go shopping with her and some handsome guy walking down the street. It was boring the hell out of Kaede. She always tried to climb trees or make forts with her brother during there younger years while Christa always played house and claimed she was princess of the castle. Then they'd have to correct her over and over again that it was a fort and not a castle.

"I don't _get_ you! How can you not like want to date _any_ of these guys?" Kaede woke up from her dream at the question.

"Um?"

"I _said_, how can you not want to date any of these guys?" Kaede shrugged.

"Romance is pretty dull. Basically, you trying to find your one true love by rushing into relationships with guys that just want the…you know. It's a whole confusing chaos of courting, turning on and off a light switch, and in the end breaking your heart and loosing your…well…you know." Christa looked up from a sigh in the window they had just past.

"Sorry…I wasn't really listening…what did you say?" Kaede sighed.

"I was saying-"

"Oh! You poor thing…look at this." Christa held up the cat to her.

"I see a cat, Christa, we've been over this."

"No, no, _look_, at his head." Christa pointed at something caught in the black glinting hair, snarled and tangled in something faintly green. Kaede squinted and made out a leaf of a certain star like shape; she stared in amazement.

"Yeah, I know, you poor _thing_!" Christa raised a careful hand and inched toward the leaf. At the moment her hand almost touched the leaf the cat struck out. Its claws cut deep, making sudden red lines, faint but there. Christa yelped and took back her hand, glaring at the cat.

"_OH, _You _BAD_ cat! Here." She suddenly swung her full arms and dumped the animal onto to Kaede, who had to fight her hands out of her pockets so it wouldn't drop, and held it by the arm pits a moment, surprised. Before she had time to react fully it twisted out of her grip and climbed onto her shoulder and up onto her head, clawing up her white locks. Noticing that it did have some sharp claws she raised both of her arms to take it off when it lashed out at her hand, causing some marks much like Christa's, and the battle for the space on top of her head the cat's for now.

And so the day proceeded, Christa was laughing at her, as she kept her arms crossed sourly, and ignoring the strange looks from some business men and the mother's fussing about how adorable she looked. That cat needed to seriously go, but every time she made a move to get it over her head, from just trying to grab it, or cleverly sneaking up on it from the back, but it still got her. By the time it was one a clock it looked like she was a suicide addict, with all the slashes on her arms and wrists, and she was defeated until someone else could do something about it.

"I'm going to go shopping…are you sure you don't want to come with me?"

"I'm positive."

"Alright then. I'll meet you at the house, be there by five, okay? Dad will get worried any later. Enjoy your four hours." And with that she ran off down the side walk, when the pedestrian sign said walk she crossed and emerged with the crowd, heading toward the inner sanctums of the big city, leaving her youngest sister alone…well, not entirely.

Kaede sighed, and returned her hands to her pockets once more, deciding she would probably just walk around. Well, not just walking around, most likely making a mental map, in preparation of the beginning of school. Most likely she would need any good short cuts to the house, a just in case measure for any unwanted attention. After all, she was a completely strange, appearances and mentally. So, she let her muddy-colored orbs travel across the buildings, treading softly, straining her neck when looking up and biting back pain as claws sunk deep into her scalp for doing so, soaking up anything she glances at.

After a while of doing this she was starting to get a headache and the soles of her feet were throbbing. She kept walking as she glanced at her watch. 3:30 it throbbed into her eyes.

"Alright. I'll go home. After all, I can always talk to the...ah, well, you know." The next step she took she spun on her heel, whipping around, and startling some of the people from the path, and started in the direction she came, but walking a little faster. She felt the feline dig its claws uncomfortably into the sides of her head and she cursed, her attempted to be ridded of it failed, but smiled not to be traveling alone.

"You are one stubborn cat." She told it in all seriousness, not caring if she looked a little crazy.

"But that's strange. That a cat, which as probably been living on the streets, decides to let people pick it up and prefers to ride on people's heads. Maybe you're actually a house cat. You know, use to people." She paused.

"But then, why would be wandering around? Are you lost?" She shook her head slightly, so not to startle it.

"No. You'd have a collar, but you don't…strange. Maybe you lost it?" The cat remained silent.

"No, you couldn't loose that so easy, someone would have to take it off you…" She paused a moment, having the distinct feeling of erroneous. Something wasn't right here, whether it was the smell of the air or her feet increased its steady throbbing beat or something else she couldn't tell. She found herself removing her hands, now fists, from her pockets and widening her sight. She glanced at the grass, thinking of asking it, when she found that it was the cat's claws needling uncomfortably into her skull. Something was spooking it. All of a sudden she found herself turning and looking directly at a blue car parked across the street, the motor running, and two shadowy figures sitting in it. Knowing they weren't there a minute before, she was startled to hear the cat hiss on her head, so suddenly it made her jump and take off like a shot.

Sprinting down the street as fast as she could go, she didn't think. Her senses ablaze and at their limit, her muscles obeyed her commands with ease, and she found her mind just taken in a moment. Something about each foot slam and the murmuring whirl of the grass blades made her head spin, how the wind whooshed in her ears, and her heart jammed in her chest. Feeling as light as a feather, she strides grew longer and longer until each sneaker meet a line ending the cement square. Her arms were pumping, her hair was bouncing and floating, the cat was somehow clinging painfully to her tresses. The world spun by, in an unworldly melee of physical awareness, and the sound of a car engine. Something within suddenly screamed into her ear with suddenly clarity.

_They're following me._

Feeling sick as her muscles started to complain of the rapidness, sluggish in rebellion, her heart in her throat, and her lungs burning, she squinted her eyes from the slowing wind and to her wonder; a building seemed to appear into her narrow scope of reality. The building was small, but commanded her thoughts immediately with its green roof, and flashed like a beacon. For a surprised moment her feet averted to it, sprinting up the short lawn, and watching the door fly up into her face with unworldly speed. Fumbling with the door handle she threw it open wide and entered, dimly hearing the bell, and jogging a few steps in before her legs heard the 'Whoa! Easy, easy!' command and halted.

Gasping she stopped, and looked uncertainly out the glass door. The car was gone. She sighed with relief and held her knees a moment, feeling like the wind had just been knocked out of her, but she was smiling with her victory. And she was sweating.

Her vision swum a little as she lifted her head up and looked gingerly around the room.

It was a small room, with counters on three walls, except the door, holding many, many different games. Card games, dice games, board games, word games, puzzles, you name it you could find it. There was an open space between the counters in the left hand corner, opening into a different room, and at the north counter a door stood open. She had to be in a game shop. It had a homey sort of feel to it, and Kaede found herself immediately at ease, feeling the odd smell of a household, and taking it into a count. She leaned carefully over to the left side and looked at a metal jumble puzzle, that ones that you separate by pulling in all sorts of ways, when a voice made her jump nearly five inches off the ground.

"Can I…help you?" She turned her head quickly. A man was standing at the north counter. He was short, but his spiky tri colored hair made him appear taller. He wore a dark blue button business shirt with jeans and white-black sneakers, around his neck hung a triangular object. His skin was pale but his eyes shown a vivid violet. Kaede never before seen anyone with violet eyes. It was truly a rare and beautiful thing, and she had thought it was a myth. Now, she was positive she had been wrong. Her leaned on one hand, calmly and let her take a look at him a moment longer.

"May I help you?" Kaede blushed as she found herself staring and looking quickly at her feet, embarrassed.

"Oh, no…I was just…on my way home…"

"You look familiar." Kaede warily looked up into the stranger's face.

"What's your name, Miss?"

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." She said stupidly. He smiled a white sparkly teethed grin.

"A smart laic, huh? Well, in that case, I'm Yugi Mutou." He held out his hand. Kaede started a moment, and then clasped his hand carefully and shook it.

"I'm Kaede Ryou." He raised his eyebrows, a look of light astonishment.

"I thought you looked familiar. One of the daughters of Bakura and Ryelle Ryou?"

"Um, yes. Have you met them?"

"Meet them? I'm a friend of your father and mother." Kaede started at him with deep shock. No where had Dad ever mention having a friend of his living so close, not once. She would have been doubtful of this if his eyes weren't so honest. Something about them made her believe every word he was saying was true.

"You knew my mother and father when they were kids?"

"Sure did. Your dad was part of the gang back then, still is, even though the gang has separated a bit. We still talk from time to time, but nothing like the old days. Friends forever, through thick and thin, always together and beating the hard ships. The most adventurous days of my life." His eyes suddenly glazed over, probably remembering something from his childhood. Adults, Kaede found, did this a lot, and it was best to let them. He was out of it a moment later and looking at her warmly.

"So, how's your father keeping up?"

"Oh, he's okay. He spends a lot of time gardening, doing business…you know." Mr. Mutou almost looked saddened at this, his smile turning to a slight frown, but he said nothing.

"Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no, it's just time has probably caught up with him, has for me too…" He touched a few gray hairs in the chaos of black locks and sighed. The necklace swung a bit, catching her attention.

"What's that?" She pointed to the triangular thing. He looked down at it and smiled again back at her.

"It's an Egyptian artifact, a puzzle, and… a bit of a lucky charm, you could say."

"Egypt? From the real desert pyramids? The works?" He laughed.

"It once belonged to a pharaoh, King Yami, or Atem, a little more than 5000 years ago." Kaede puzzled over the name.

"Hmm. Never heard of it."

"There are few who have. He isn't in many history books I'm afraid."

"Why is that?" Mr. Mutou smiled, a wide brilliant grin, which just made her want trust him. Kaede decided she liked him.

"I think it's getting late…your dad is probably worried…do you want a ride?" Kaede thought about it a moment, and then shook her head.

"No, I think I need the exercise…but thank you anyway." He nodded, his hair rebounding in a jerk.

"Bye Mr. Mutou."

"Tell your father I said hi…"

"I will."

"Take care."

"I will."

"See you." Kaede tried not to slam the door on the way out. She walked calmly and slowly down the street, looking for the car, but found it gone. Grinning she started down the side walk, letting the orange sun cast her silhouette upon the lawn. She noticed that the cat was still clinging to the top of her head, and starting to get use to it, like wearing a heavy hat. After a while you don't realize it's there. Then something odd occurred to her, making her pause a moment then leisurely taking slow steps.

_Why didn't he ask anything about the cat?_ It was usually, not an everyday thing when you see someone with a cat on their head, and usually you'd ask why it was on your skull. He could have been being polite, but commonly something in the face says 'why in god's name is there a cat on your head?'

_But he didn't even bat an eye. _But she couldn't use that as proof as to this guy knew something she didn't or he was just plain weird. Some people are every good actors…some just sort of born with hiding their emotions. But then, that guy seemed a little more sentiment then one of those people. Actually, he was a pretty open, ready to talk to the first person to walk in the door, extremely out-going.

"I wish I was like that sometimes." She murmured to herself.

When she got home she tried to remove the black animal off her head one more time, and to her deep surprise, it was over her head before she could touch it. It leapt off and onto the front step before the door and casually stocked off the step and along the house. She watched it nimbly climb a tree and swiftly disappear into the branches, the tree all the time complaining about how sharp the cat's claws were, making her smile a little wider as she opened the door.

"KAEDE! Where have you been?!" Kaede jumped with shock at her Aunt standing in front of her. Her face was pale and her hair looked a little frizzy and her brown eyes were dark and flashing. In the corner she noticed her father sneaking off into another room, fully dressed now, and looking very determined for some reason.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Kaede looked back into her face.

"I went for a walk."

"For four hours?! Without lunch or breakfast?!" Kaede paused, and nodded her head in agreement. Her Aunt sighed.

"You silly…come on. We'll have dinner early."

As they pasted the door her father entered, Kaede took a quick glance it and found it empty. Confused she almost stopped, but thought better of telling her Aunt that her father had just suddenly disappeared.

Book Dragon: "Please review."


	3. School Troubles and Black Cat

Book Dragon: "Thank god. Someone reviewed."

Book Dragon: "Yeah, I suppose that's a good question. I'm still setting up the beginning, so far it is talking about Bakura's three children coming back to him after so many years. I swear it's going to get better, I was trying to make it interesting for when TombRobber showed up, when I wrote it…in the other story, I wrote that a young girl was pulled into the YGO world who had some weird powers and at the end of the story…sort of took control of TombRobber at the end…it will explain."

Book Dragon: "I feel pretty lame now…but I've worked on this for nearly an entire year and I'm going to post it no matter what."

Book Dragon: "Thank you SO much for paying attention and reviewing! you don't know what it means!"

Chapter 3: School Troubles and Black Cat

And so time passed. Aunt Marie would make sure they had something to eat before going out to venture, even if it was something like a candy bar. Food was food after all, and she didn't try to push her luck by giving them any nutritional.

Christa was in and out of a relationship every two weeks, confusing the hell out of everyone by talking about some guy called Tom to Sean to some other poor guy. She would go shopping on a regular bases, varying from if she had cash she would buy crap and if not she'd window shop, and put it on a list to buy it later, but that would never happen because a month later it is 'out of date'.

Mat was disappearing more and more into his room, it turned out that he had gotten a new guitar on his angry spree down the street that day, and was always playing it, creating annoying twanging that smoothed out slowly into a recognizable tune. Christa was always shrieking for him to just stop, or that it sounded like a trapped cat, or some insult worse than that. He'd always turn up the horrible tune to irritate her. Kaede bought ear plugs a week into his first guitar.

With the fighting and the regular hazards of daily life, Dad looked older and older, as if aging faster than possible. He sometimes had huge purple bags under his eyes, and, out of pure exhaustion, sometimes fell out of his chair and flat onto the floor, snoring. At those times Mat would pick him up, saying he was dangerously light for a man his age and put him on the couch in the family room. Aunt Marie assumed it to be stress. Kaede would often go looking for him, whether it was someone at the door, or the plants needed watering, or something just as trivial, and wouldn't be able to find him. She'd look all over the house and find him gone. When she would give up and tell the man sorry or water the plants herself and watch TV for a few hours, she'd go into the kitchen for munchies and find Dad just sitting at the kitchen table. When she'd ask where he was he'd say, "In the bedroom", or "Outside." or "In here." Sometimes he'd say he was where places she looked thoroughly.

A month into their stay Aunt Marie finally moved out, saying we were comfortable enough and she would visit over weekends. Kaede felt a little sad she was leaving; she was the only women that she remembered as a mother to her. It was a little emptier with out her in the building, and the mess of daily living started to take over rooms with out her work. After it got bad enough, Dad organized them to do daily chores. Kaede didn't mind; she had plant duty.

She didn't visit Mr. Mutou's game shop for a long time. She had told her father about him, and he had just smiled and nodded, saying yes he was a very good friend and he would call him later, which he would do every Saturday, but never actually visit. When she finally did, he invited her for tea and would tell her interesting stories, from comics to Egypt. She loved to hear about Egypt. He had said his grandfather had brought back the artifact and gave it to him as a child, and treasured it to and beyond the day he died. Mr. Mutou explained he was not entirely alone, he had his brother which Kaede never actually did see and never knew the name of, a son in college, and his wife, unfortunately, divorced him. He wouldn't get into details, and she dare not pursue the conversation. She compared the feeling to be having someone ask about her mother's death, and he looked far away when he said they had been separated. In the end, it was best not to go into it.

She filled most of her free time hanging around the house, watching TV, or reading a book. Or even, when she felt bold enough, went looking for the way to the roof of the building. The large tree had got her curious. She could hear soft whispers in the night that had kept her awake at night in the first few weeks of living there. She had asked if anyone else if they had heard it at breakfast once, and worried look from Mat and never asked again. After thinking and racking her brain she came to the conclusion it was the tree growing on the roof, it had to be. For a while after that she tried to make out the whispers into words, but found it impossible. Shortly after that, about a week or so, she gave up looking for the tree completely.

Another month later school began. Life became increasingly harder once that happened, with the bullying due to the color of her hair, or the fact she was weak and brainy. By that time Aunt Marie was visiting once a month instead of once a week, and Marie was dedicated to her new boyfriend. At least she had her brother. When she walked into school he would be behind her, a hand clasped to her shoulder and glaring off anyone that even looked at them the wrong way. By that time she was dead frightened of a certain group of much older girls who were the local women's gang, and they really didn't like her. She didn't know what it was that made them hate her, they just started stuffing her into lockers the third week into school. Mat had only found out about it when she was missing one Sunday and went out looking for her. He found her three hours later limping the way home and with scratches. They had long nails.

They had kept it a secret from Dad. He seemed to have enough on his mind, being always weary and worried about Christa for obvious reasons, and didn't need the extra fact she was getting beat up on a regular bases. So, Mat would accompany her to and from school, on Saturdays and Sundays when he could. When he couldn't, she'd stay home. And one morning when he was sick and she had to go on her own that made her really frightened.

She ended up throwing up from pure fear twice and covered it up and went to school, just because she needed to take a term test. On the way to school, walking slow, and watching the sun, she noticed that a black cat had joined her. It walked her to school and darted into the bushes on the left corner of the school as she walked in the front doors nervously. Taking her test later, she saw it watching her keenly on the widow on the far side of the school window, making her a little self-conscious and curious, but she aced the test anyway. When she left, it was placidly sitting on its haunches, flicking its tail patiently and started to walk back to the house, and much to her surprise, no one laid a hand on her. In fact, no one even glanced at her. This made her every happy when she had gotten home, and chatted up a storm with the plants, and boldly telling the roses not to act so stuck up all the time.

Mat had been sick for a week, and everyday in his absence she was accompanied, to her puzzlement, by the night-colored feline, sometimes in the open, sometimes lurking in the trees or behind the hedges, to and from school, and everyday she would come home unharmed. By the end of the week she was quite fond of the animal, and her father would curiously ask the family every morning why he kept finding a half-full bowl of milk on the doorstep.

Of course, Mat noticed her progress and left her on her own more and more often, and very soon, despite the once lucky cat, she started to get beaten again. She made no move to tell anyone, for they had warned her they knew people, and asked what she'd do if he ended up in the hospital. She never told him, and he became unaware, and locked more and more into his room when she'd come home with sores and scarlet red marks. They weren't stupid. They'd claw her where she could hide it and slap her as not to leave marks. It would be then, while she was strapping on bandages, and taking off the knee-pads she had hidden under her baggy pants, the cat scratch at her window and she'd let it in, giving it some fish she had bought and some 2 fat milk in a small bowl as she pulled out a fantasy book from her book bag to submerge herself in. She never really decided to give him a name, he was always just 'Cat', and often she would just start talking to it without addressing it. After a while, she accepted it to actually be a him, after some yowling and just the way it walked, and…well the visible sign. She'd talk through the music pounding through her wall, read aloud sections of good books her imagination was devouring, and do her math homework while keeping a one-sided conversation. The hell unleashed into her life was going mundane; soon it was something she forced herself not to think about as the day began and when it was all over to forget it. She swam through oceans of pages of books, keeping the pain at bay and her mind occupied, never knowing that her mind was taking in the wisdom, or that the world she knew was starting to change. She was starting to change in ways no one could imagine possible. But she was already impossible

She had been born impossible.

It was one of those double whammy days that she actually did look like something the cat dragged in, and the cat, not caring for the window but simply climbing the stairs, led her to her room. Dad was asleep in the other room, beyond reach in his slumber, and therefore not a problem with the limping up the stairs and the soft thumps of paws, padding up into her room, where when arrived, gently shut it, threw her bag onto the bed, took out the first aid kit hidden in a floor board under the bed, and started fixing herself up, while taking to the feline sitting comfortably on her single bed.

"You know, I don't have a clue why they do this to me. They must have some serious problems. If it wasn't fore their punk boyfriends Mat could take them out just by intimidation. I know he's strong, but they'd pound him to the ground. Besides, if it's just me, then only one person it getting hurt and not all of us." She glanced up at the cat, flicking his tail, and licking his paws uncaring. She sighed.

"I thought you'd do that…I think Tom hates me. He's getting really paranoid and won't let me in his room anymore. You've seen him; he's always in there listening to his music. Maybe he just doesn't care about me anymore…I mean, this does happen when we start to grow up, we separate, and aren't as close as before. Like Mr. Mutou's friends are now." She winced as she placed some iodine on a deep nail mark on her shoulder, yelping quietly at the burning pain, and put some cream on it, dulling the throbbing, where she then slapped a bandage on the worst of it, the rest could scab up without one.

"But still…It's hard, going through day to day, knowing they'll be pain every sunlight hours. You've got to wonder, is it worth it?" She paused, looking the panther-like animal straight in the eye.

"Do you think I should…maybe…kill myself?" She asked. The watched carefully, as if trying to read the answer off of the animal. He yawned; showing pointed white teeth, and unexpectedly jumped off the bed and out of the room. Confused and suddenly aware that he Dad was snoring downstairs, she stalked out of the room quietly, down the stairs, and saw the cat sitting in the middle of the room, staring at her, about three feet away from her sleeping father. Panicked, she tried to lure the cat back, making silent motions and very quite mewing sounds. The feline looked thoroughly amused, and suddenly bolted up the stairs in silence, causing her to cart around fast and try to follow just as quietly. Increasingly swore, she glared at the animal, mockingly staring at her with amusement flickering in his brown orbs and darted into the room at the end of the hall; her father's room.

Book Dragon: "It's picking up now. Please review."


	4. The Ring

Book Dragon: "Another day, another chapter…and again, no more reviews…"

Book Dragon: sighs "You'd think I'd give up, have a break down or something…"

Book Dragon: "But I'll admit, I'm disheartened."

Book Dragon: "Sorry about that Tom mess, I meant to write Mat. I have no idea how I screwed that one up. SORRY!!!"

Book Dragon: "Here is your chapter, who ever is reading this."

Chapter 4: The Ring

She was pretty sure the door had been closed, but somehow she found it wide open. Her father had told her not to go into his room why he wasn't there. She knew this as she placed a careful foot into the room edging closer to the cat, whispering comforting things.

"I'm not going to kill you…just get out of here…please?" Kaede said. The cat gave another laughing look and jumped nimbly up onto the dresser by the bed. Kaede slowly circled in front of him, his head turning as she moved, and traveled facing the dresser.

"I've got you now." She whispered, and started to come closer, in soft slow steps.

"Come here, kitty, kitty…I'm not going to hurt you, you're my friend. I just need you to get the hell out of this room before Dad finds out." The cat ignored her statement and mewed softly, in a gruff sort of tone, like a commander would say to a new solider. Kaede tilted her head confused and looked down at his paws, where to her amazement, was a golden ring sitting inconspicuously in front of her. She blinked a moment, surprised since she hadn't seen it on her way in, and looked at the cat confused. He mewed again, a demanding sort of yowl, which showed some big sharp teeth and a red tongue. Kaede stared a moment, and studied the ring, no longer concerned with the cat, for it had captured her full attention on second glance. It was more than a golden ring, it had five rods hung on the bottom edge of it, evenly spaced, and in the middle sat a triangle with an Egyptian eye molded to the front of it, and was also strung onto a brown chord; it was a necklace. It glittered at her, and gleamed brightly in her mind's eye. It took her mind and enchanted her with its silent pleading voice, in which she translated to 'put me on'.

Kaede looked around quickly, checking if anyone was watching. Obviously no one was, only the cat sitting on the dresser with big eyes. She had a sort conflict with herself, from being moral to actually taking it. She decided after a five minute debate just to try it on. So, she carefully reached forward and grasped the chord with both hands, and gingerly, she placed it over her white hair and let it flop down onto her chest, and turned to look at herself in the mirror on the other side of the room. The necklace was big and cold, but not bad to look at, but after her eyes strayed over her shoulder she almost screamed at sudden stranger standing behind her, and she wiped around so fast it hurt. She saw no one then, only the little black cat, showing his teeth in what she could consider to be a grin.

"What are you-" She was suddenly stabbed with a bolt of pain in the stomach, and doubled over in extreme pain onto the floor. It writhed deep inside her guts, tearing and piercing, making her screams seem silent to her ears and her heart like a beating war drum. Clutching her abdomen, she looked down with horrified eyes, watching as the necklace's arrows stabbed her and sunk deeper and deeper into her flesh. Twisting and bellowing, writhing for what seemed like eternity but in reality only two seconds, until the pain stopped abruptly and she passed out. Her mind sunk into the sudden black abyss, lost to pain and thought, and taken by the darkness.

And she would never be the same.

In a world of swimming darkness, one is very aware of pain. Something was crushing down on her chest, pressing heavily on her torso, making her want to gasp for air. Her head felt weight as well, but something wet and cool slid down the sides of her face, and the pressure was sometimes removed. Her thoughts kept drifting, from physical pain to the vibrating confusion. Something was wrong, but she couldn't piece it together. It was like when one buys a fruit that looks fine on the outside, but when you open it you discover bruises all in side. Was she trying to get at layers? Why was she thinking of food? Kaede's stomach grumbled in response, and may her reluctantly lift her eye lids' open.

It took a little more effort than thought, but still they peeled unwillingly open. She was momentarily blinded by sunlight, strong and vibrant beams, shooting across her face. The light swum, like rippling water, until the blurriness became clearer and something dark pressed gently to her forehead. She grunted and slowly blinked her eyes, adjusting to the light.

"You're up?" Dad's voice rang in, as he removed the dripping wet cloth from her head and smiled at her, a fake smile trying to lie that he was calm. She blinked at him, and slowly nodded her head, stopping because it made her a little dizzy.

"How long have I been asleep?" Her words were a little slurred but what can one expect?

"A day. Christa found you on the floor yesterday night. She thought you were dead."

"Well, I'm not." She said perfectly clear, remembering how to use her tongue. Dad smiled his proud grin and dabbed the cold cloth again on her head.

"I'm not going to let you go to school tomorrow, just to make sure you're alright. The doctor came in and looked at you after Christa found you. He said you fainted…is this true?" She looked him straight in the face and thought a moment, then slowly jerked a nod. He grinned in a concern way.

"I was worried...some of your class mates sent you some cards…if you like, I could go get them…"

"…Okay, Dad." He got up, shaking the bed a little and walked out of the room. With him gone, she wondered why in the world she had lied. Had it been because she was scared to tell him she had did something against his wishes? She slowly shook her head, knowing that wasn't the answer. It was the fact that in the time period of the after noon to the night that her body was moved, against her will, from her father's bed room to her own. That, and she wasn't in the hospital. She shuddered as she remembered the hot pain slicing into her. She shook her head, and grabbed at the blankets for comfort, making something heavy shift from under the covers. Curious, she lifted the blue sheets and found the necklace still hanging from her neck.

Suddenly panic to her whole frame of conscious, and she leapt from the bed, throwing off the sheets and pulling off the necklace violently as she ran to the window. Kaede threw it open, feeling a sudden gush on her face, and immediately hurled the item out, without even thinking of how her father would feel. She watched it soar into the air and cross the lawn with deadly speed as she shut the window carefully. Catching her breath quickly, she tried to tell her heart to stop beating so fast, and held onto the wall for support, as Dad came in with a small pile of letters.

The next morning Kaede was told to stay in the house, to stay in bed, and let herself rest. NO exploring. Dad had made this every clear. Kaede had nodded, simply not hearing him because her mind was still buzzing with the fright. When she had first opened her eyes she had seen, to her horror, the ring. It was prompted up on the end of her bed board, glittering in the new rays, and bidding her an icy good-morning with its inanimate voice. Of course, she sailed it with all her might out the window, and almost broke one of the tree branches, yelling it a 'good riddance', despite her dread.

She had almost a mind to ask what her father was thinking if she hadn't heard him on the phone. She walked in to ask what the hell was wrong with him when she stopped, simply from the side-ways look in his eyes. It was frantic fear and worry that made his fingers jabbed the numbers and talk into the receiver.

"Hi, Yugi? Yeah, it's me." It was Thursday. Not Saturday. He didn't look if anyone was listening in on his conversation, but Kaede slowly slid behind the hallway wall anyway, just because of the hurried and almost whispery sort of tone of his voice. She couldn't hear much after she hid. In fact, the only reason why she knew they were talking about the artifact was because he said.

"Yeah, BUT I CAN'T FIND-Oh…sorry…" Kaede immediately ditched the conversation and ate breakfast silently with Mat and Christa.

"And then he said, oh my gosh! You're single? And that's how I met him."

"Terrific." Mat said in a bored beyond belief voice and stuffed a mouthful of just cooked waffles in his mouth, eating the last of it, and grabbing his bag.

"Bye Mat."

"Uh? What? Oh…right." Then he left, leaving her frowning, and despaired. Of course, Christa had no clue of this, as she stood up and wiped her lips elegantly, and swayed her way out of the room, casting her very pretty fare-well. She sat there for only a moment by herself when her father came in, pulling on his jacket, and telling her he had to visit a friend and it would be for a while. She smiled and nodded and watched him leave and heard him slam the front door. And then Kaede was left alone.

It was a long time before she went back into her room. She watched the small TV in the family room for at least three hours, eating two slices of peanut-buttered toast, lounging on the dull and fraying couch. It was when she got annoyed at all the soap-opera's on and someone screaming about their long lost husband that finally made her shut off the screen with a click and trudge up stairs to go do what her Dad had said. To rest.

She walked into her room and froze in the door way, taken off guard by the sudden appearance of the bright colored ring gleaming at her from the leaning position on the window sill, staring at her with its eye and mocking her. Instead of frantic fright, rage meet her head, and she stomped up to it and took it roughly in her hands, squeezing it hard and digging her finger nails painfully into her palms. She glared at it and grabbed furiously at the closet door, hand searching for a few seconds until she grabbed it and violently opened the door, jarring the door as she slammed it against the wall.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She snarled at it and flung it into the closet, denting the wall with a jingle and slamming the door so hard the frame shook.

Dad came home very late, looking very old. Mat had locked himself in his room several hours before and was jamming to a particular tune written by a disturbing band. Dad seemed a little worried about him, but tried not to show it. Due to both experiences with the object, Kaede told her Dad she was well enough to go to school. He didn't argue.

Kaede was afraid to go into her room to go to sleep, but still opened the door and peered into the room. The ring was no where to be seen…it must have still been in the closet. She nervously walked in, pajamas on, and went to bed quickly, covering her head with the blanket and shivering. She wasn't cold.

She didn't get much sleep by the time she woke up that morning. She kept waking up to nightmares containing large golden rings compressing around her torso and crushing her rib cage, or getting hung by the chord, or being stabbed in the heart with one of its golden arrows. The last time she woke up her alarm radio went off, declaring it a beautiful fifty degree Friday morning, perfect for some last minute jogs before old mother winter came rushing in before it started playing "The Jeter-Winks Got Me" the twenty-fifth song on the top hundred. It was listening to the high pumping and screaming keyboard player that made her face her morning reality, and think for a moment that her life was normal and easy and curse the new Dembony style of music. When she pulled off the sheets, she found to her misfortune that she was terribly mistaken.

The ring sat, patiently, on the end of her bed, shimmering in the golden hues of light seeping into her window. She started at it, blinking, and rubbing her eyes, telling herself this wasn't happening, she was dreaming, she would wake up any minute. That minute never came, and the ring stayed on the end of the bed, smiling its unseen smiling, and laughing its tinkling laugh as she moved out of the bed and onto the floor with a bang.

"It's possessed." She said with a tired croak, and crawled into a new pair of clothes. Fully clothed she turned back to it, still ridiculing her. Kaede moved closer to it, but not too close; those arrows did indeed look pretty sharp.

"This isn't happening." She said to herself firmly, and the thing laughed louder as it slipped off the bed and onto the floor. She stared at it, for the longest time, wondering whether to chuck it out the window again or kick it under the bed.

"…What do you want?" It sparkled vividly, sparking into her mind's eye and beyond, speaking with its own silent tone of voice that told her before what it wanted, what it still wanted. 'Wear me'

She cursed the worse swear she knew, and reluctantly picked it up with the fullest of caution. She tried to think of it as nothing as she gingerly placed the chord over her head and gently tucked the ring in under her baggy shirt, perfectly hidden. She didn't like the thought of it being so close to her skin, but she also didn't like the fact her father would probably disown her if he found out she had it.

She grabbed a piece of bread and bided her family a shaky fare-well, as she ran out the door, holding her shirt until she was out the door. Then she was listening to the eerie jingling sounding loudly in her ears, sending cold shots up and down her spine. Running to school was the fastest way to end that part of the journey, the rest of school would be a living nightmare.

Sitting in class, she tried her best to pay attention to the lesson, focusing with all her being to listen, but the unusual weight of the chord and the metal icily touching her made her skin crawl and her whole frame shiver, and many of the teachers would ask her problems she couldn't answer or ask if she thought it was cold in here. One of them even asked if life at home was alright. She just looked at him in the eye and cracked a smile saying life at home was just fine and asking why he thought this.

The hallway times were ones she tried to drive off quick, by jogging to her locker and stuffing used books and taking out the ones she needed before anyone could even let the idea of enclosing her in a tight dark space for the rest of the day. Many times she could see a group of five girls glaring at her with curious glints as she ducked and weaved through the blue suited crowds, hoping to death they wouldn't start anything here.

At the end of the day, it was a relief when the clock buzzed, and Kaede placed her pencil and math book carefully into her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and briskly walked out of the building. When she was outside and off the steps, she didn't even look for the gang and started sprinting, starting the daily race early and surprise the shit out of them, making them stumble for a couple of precious moments that gave her a hopeful edge. She darted across the school grass, listening to the plants sprung under her feet and shouts in little combined voices, and made it to the side walk a good ten feet from them, going strong and faster than she had ever done before. She intended to give them a run for their money, or so some grown-ups put it, and ran hard, necklace swinging around in her shirt like a pedaled. Through lines and crowds she waved, ducked, and slammed through, ignoring angry shouting, and kept turning to see how much ground they were gaining. A lot of ground, unfortunately. Even with 'accidentally' tipping some new shipping crates in their way and shooting into the nearest alley way, they met her in stride and grabbed a hand full of hair viciously, stopping her head, and at their mercy, for which they had none. They were laughing as they kicked her to the ground, hard, and slapped her hard on the cheek, flaring a heated pain. The fighting was beyond words at this point, it was just the pleasure of being top dog (another old saying) the sport of being a dangerous predator and catching their prey every time. Kaede kept down and didn't try to stop them; that only made it worse. One tall red-head girl grabbed at her hair and pulled her head out of hiding behind her arm gloating as she slapped her back handed and laughed at the hot tears spreading on her face. Her laugh mixed with the sound of the item twinkling loudly under Kaede's shirt as she threw her down again, and almost kicked her before a dark-eyed brunet told her to stop.

"Why?"

"Did you hear that?" Her dark eyes turned to her form on the ground, grinning an evil smile.

"I think little Missy as some jewelry…" Everyone but Kaede looked delighted to hear that, and held down her arms and legs and tarred at her hair when she struggled as they took it, from under her shirt, and the red-head held the ring loosely in her small hands, looking distastefully at it.

"Disgusting. But the gold it beautiful, better to be melted down..." Kaede grunted and struggled a little more, making the red-head blink and smile widely.

"What did you say? I could have it? Don't mind if I do…" She started to take the chord, and made Kaede almost happy and almost angry that she was taking it. When she gripped she said very quietly to the brunet in a sweet tone.

"And let's have a little more fun…" The girl grinned and laughed, pulled cruelly at her white locks and caused her to scream and cry. She needed help. Her Dad's possessed object was being taken, it would probably come back or maybe even haunt her, but that wasn't the point, it was the fact Dad was worried about it, and deep in her twisted emotions she felt responsible for it. She struggled and kicked her legs up flaring her head and pulling her arms, ignoring the laughing, ignoring the tugging, and living in the dread.

"Alright, I've had enough of this." A new voice suddenly said. Everyone froze, including Kaede, heart beating faster than a drum roll, so fast it hurt. Everyone had a look like they had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar, and heads tilted up to the source of the new voice. Kaede tilted her head down into the street, looking at the new visitor upside down.

For a horrific second, she thought it was Dad. Then the moment passed and she realized that he was much younger, about her age by appearance. He had a large head of white hair, spiky and wild, with a couple of leaves tuck in it, like he had fallen out a tree even though there were none close. His skin was pale, and he wore a striped shirt and faded blue jeans, with a pair of sneakers. His eyes were chocolate brown, like Christa's, but glinted strangely in the light, his lips were straight.

"Get lost." Said the red-head, at turned back to her present work.

"Let her go." He said in a light and annoyed voice, totally disregarding her statement. The red's head bounded up fast and glared steaming blue eyes, causing the rest of the gang to glare, as she got up and approached.

"What did you say?" She growled two feet away from him. The teen looked at her irritated and for a startling moment disgusted.

"I don't have time for this, get out of the way." He said plainly, looking at his nails, and waiting for her to move. She didn't make a move, just stood and shot heat beams at his face with her smoking eyes. After a few moments of nothing she spoke with clenched fists.

"This is our turf. Get out, punk." Suddenly his brown eyes meet hers, going beyond her glare, turning to killing level. His face darkened over, like a shadow, and he gritted his teeth.

"Look, I'm taking her. Move or you shall regret it." He growled it, and it could have matched the snarl of a menacing street dog, labeled brightly in red highlighter as a threat. She blinked, surprised, and her own face clouded over in anger.

"How dare you…I wouldn't move if it was the last thing I'd do!" She crossed her arms and glared, but somewhere deep in her eyes you could see a tiniest bit of fear, tinting out. The teen saw it, Kaede knew he saw it from the look of contempt twisted to pleasure, and then she too was afraid, and hoped the Red stood some sort of chance. By the look on his face she had no luck, and this game was his for the taking.

He abruptly took her by the arm and spun her out of the way, jerked her arm up and back, causing a loud crack and a shriek of pain and sent her down like a crumbled piece of paper.

"The game is over. You lost. Care to try again?" And of course, after breaking her arm right in front of them so fast and so violently, the rest of the group left their fallen leader and fled for their lives out of the alley, leaving Kaede stunned and bruised, looking up at the stranger, with fear uncoiling like a large lazy snake in her guts. He looked boredly down at her, and gently picked her up off the ground with icy hands, placing her carefully on her feet and taking her firmly, but not painfully, by the arm and walked her out of there.

He led her through the crowds, walking and not saying a word about who he was or explaining anything, just taking her through the city as if on a peaceful walk. She licked her lips nervously and kept staring at the back of his white head with wide hazel eyes, and wondering what he was going to do to her.

The sun was still high in the air, and they kept walking, him leading and doing nothing but that when she started to see the building loosen up, and noticed this was the normal route to her house. She blinked and thought about trying to get out of his grip and sprinting, but secretly she knew that wouldn't work, he'd catch her just as fast and probably break more than just an arm. Better to talk and take him off guard before sprinting.

"What are you going to do to me?" She finally asked with a croak, trailing not too far behind him. He looked over his shoulder at her, and turned back casually, making her feel more jumpy. When they stopped at the red stop sign with a group of other city-goers he finally spoke.

"I'm going to take you home." She blinked.

"Take me home?"

"Yeah, what are you, stupid?" She just stared.

"Why?"

"Because I have to. No more questions." He yanked at her arm, pulling her forward suddenly out of the way of a speeding skater with out even looking, saying nothing at all, and started to walk forward when the sign turned green, with the crowd.

Silently they walked back to the house. Kaede being tugged softly along behind the stranger, having so many questions it felt her head would burst, but she listened to what he had said and had watched him so easily break a person's arm. Obviously, she didn't want to get on his bad side. The house came into view, and like a stalking tiger, it crept slowly toward them in bouncing strides.

The sun was lofting lazily half in the bright blue sky, shadows springing from the trees and stretching across the sidewalk and front door step, where he placed his white sneakers carefully to Kaede horror, and looked at the door a moment, putting his hand to his chin a second, letting his cold grip on her go, thinking. Kaede did not interrupt him. Then he started digging in the pockets of his jeans, searching for something, and his expression briefly flashed and in a pale fist he pulled out a thin knife. Kaede flinched when she saw the flash of the blade, and thought a moment that he had accomplished his…whatever about getting her home and would kill her, right there on the front door. She shivered and watched him flick his wrist elegantly as he crouched down, and slip the point of the blade easily into the lock of the door in one fluid motion, and started to nimbly tweak and stab in side the black hole until it clicked in a deep thud and he swung the door open, and let him self in.

Of course, she followed him in timidly and the house was a mess, with coats on the floor, books carelessly left spine up, and some wrappers blowing in the wind generated by the door. The teenager didn't bother looking at any of this, but marched in, like he owned the place, ignored the family room, and went to the kitchen immediately. She snuck a look in the family room, hoping her Dad was in there to stop this intruder, but for once, on the wrong day, he wasn't there. Kaede proceeded quietly into the kitchen, or as quietly as one can walk with disregarded litter covering the floor, and peered around the door frame into the kitchen.

The kitchen was clean, sparkling really, until food was thrown on the black and white checkered floor from the unwanted visitor, now poking around in their cream-colored refrigerator with an emotionless face, causing a disarray to slowly grow as he snuffed and tutted and threw things over his shoulder. Kaede couldn't believe this. This guy wasn't in his right mind, no scratch that; this guy was_ insane. _You don't interrupt a crazy person, that usually makes things chaotic. Usually ending with death obviously. He didn't have that look that insane people had though, he actually looked normal…or as normal as you can get. His movements were a bit too swift, and the items of juice were going a little too fast over his shoulder. But other wise, just looking at the guy, you'd think he was quite rational.

"A-AH!" There was a clinking of glass as his white hair temporarily darted out of view. He slammed the white door shut, standing at full height suddenly, surprising her, and, to her dismay, he gulped down a mouthful of amber looking liquid, and looked pleasantly at it.

"Haven't had this stuff since…can't remember when…not as good as the old days, but still good." He gulped down another huge mouthful. That was it.

"What are you doing?!" Kaede suddenly asked before she could stop herself, looking horrified at him and the bottle of liquor. He blinked a moment, took a long sip, and looked her fully in the face. His eyes sparked brightly, fully aware and bursting of intelligence, a slyness swimming deep inside the blackness of his pupils, saying in a very silent tongue 'don't toy with me, I'm beyond you', what ever that meant. It was enough to scare her, and without even realizing it she took a step back.

"I," He said slowly, and looking deep into her eyes across the room, piercing them, with menacing sort of feel vibrating deep in the air in the distance between them. "Am getting a well deserved drink, thank you every much."

"But, you're under age!" Kaede said, a little surprised at herself._ What the hell am I doing?_ He raised his eyebrows, though it was hard to see since his hair covered most of his forehead, and took another sip.

"Unless you _look_ young and are actually eighteen or something…you are aren't you?" He said nothing, just stared at her with a blank look, leaning back on the counter. She shifted her feet nervously, taking a step toward the table and tried again.

"How old are you?" He averted his eyes a moment, with a calculating sort of appearance and said placidly.

"5029. Give or take a couple of years." She looked at him irritated.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Compared to me or the rest of society?" Kaede blinked, making him sigh.

"If society, I would have to say no, I've seen stupider mortals. To me, yes, I would think you were an idiot." She stared at him a moment longer, and then sighed at her bad luck. _Great, now I've got a snobby crazy person in my house drinking beer, could this get worse?_

Lowering her eyes she noticed a note pad on the table. This was normal since they didn't have a refrigerator magnet white-board like most families, or usually they did in TV shows, she wasn't what most people designed their houses like. She thought of picking one up after school but she always had other things on her mind, mostly escaping unscathed. In big black letters, Kaede read to herself the message.

**_Kids,_**

**_ Had to leave. Important business to attend to. I'll be at Mr. Mutou home in case of emergencies. Be back very late. Junk-Night, but have at least one thing nutritional. Don't expect me back before you go to sleep. _**

**_ Love you all,_**

**_ Dad_**

**_Ps. don't let any strangers in the house._**

_"Too late."_

Book Dragon: "This was my favorite part, and where things started to get very interesting…but now, I doubt anyone will care."

Book Dragon: "Whoever is reading, please leave a review!"


	5. Purple Capes

Book Dragon: "Hello again…I feel like I'm talking to dead air…It probably since none of the past readers know I'm writing this sequel, or some unknown force is trying so hard to torture me…"

Book Dragon: sigh "But, this is my own damn fault isn't it? Here is the next chapter to anyone who cares."

Chapter 5: Purple Capes

Kaede brought her hands to her face, shook her head with an ill look, and told herself this wasn't that bad. She couldn't kick him out of the house, since he was obviously nuts, and yet, her dad had put out in black and white that she shouldn't let anyone in the house. But, given the situation, he probably would've agreed that this was a time that was okay…_okay, maybe he wouldn't_. She felt like screaming with frustration. The trick was not to panic, if she could keep her head, she could over come this. She closed her eyes, took a breath deep breath, and lowered her hands carefully from her face. The trick was to dwell in the darkness and think calm thoughts for about ten seconds and she'd be okay, take long deep breaths, _that's it, calm down…_

She opened her eyes and found the stranger gone from the spot she had left him in. Pausing a moment, her eyes rushed over the whole room, and still found no one.

_Did I imagine it?_ She looked to the floor, staring at the puddle of milk left sideways, still pouring and growing in white liquid.

Suddenly someone grabbed her arm and she jumped at least three inches off the ground, heart pumping in anxiety and eyes wide with fright. Her head turned swiftly to the visitor, laughing darkly at her while holding his middle, and letting himself hit the door frame with his eyes clamped shut. Her hands suddenly formed tight fists and she was surprised deep in her head. And horrified as her fist went spiraling toward his face.

In the same instant, her fist stopped with a silent whack, but in his white clenched hand curled around her fingers, instead of his face. His composer was back and he looked no longer amused, but brooding with anger. His brown eyes flashed dangerously for only a moment, then subsided to pure annoyance, and he let her hand go. He swiftly turned, a murky resentment flicking in his movements as he took one step after another out of the room.

"Don't do that again." Was all he said as he departed.

"Wait!" His footsteps stopped and when she walked out of the room she found him standing rigidly in the hall, fists clenched and shoulders up, as if trying to control his form. It was better if she made this quick.

"Who are you?" And abruptly this rage subsided somewhere deep inside of him, where he bottled it, and left it to explode for a later date. His figure turned on heel dexterously with a wide grin spread on his face and turned to face her.

"Finally, you ask an interesting question," he paused, taking a breath with a glee face he began, "I can not tell you that delightful piece of information because I have been forbidden to." He smiled, enjoying the echo of those words and the impression on her face, but to his disappointment, she didn't have much of an impression, just a sort of irritation that flickered for only a moment, and subsided, much to his disappointment.

"Okay, then what would you like to be called?" He blinked, a brief bit of surprise covering his face, before he went back to his apathy state.

"What I would like to be called? …Hmmm…I suppose T.R would do."

"What does T.R mean?"

"Initials for what I was once called."

"Oh…okay, T.R it is…"And then she added seeming to have nothing better to do, she stuck out her hand, "Nice to meet you T.R, I'm Kaede." He took her hand lightly and said with a sarcastic tone of voice.

"Charming, I'm sur-" His curt tone was cut short by the slam of the back door and of Christa's sweet voice ringing around the hall and expanding. It certainly startled Kaede. She jumped almost two inches off the ground.

"I-I-I-I'M H-O-O-M-M-M-E!" She sang in a cheerful tune, beaming with high spirits as she carried two large plastic bags in both her skinny arms. Wearing a short black shirt and a small sized red t-shirt with clogs, she would've been stunning to any male with in sight of her at that moment. But all this changed with a sudden whirlwind of emotion, from complete happy serenity to utter horror. Her face lost all of its rosy brilliance and her eyes widened hugely as she dropped her bags on the floor with a thud.

Kaede expected her to scream, and turned back toward T.R to tell him this was her sister and he should probably run now, but when she turned all she saw was blank wall where he had once stood, completely empty of any stranger. Taken back she took a step away from the spot and noticed Christa but her hands to her face, shock glowing fiercely in her eyes as she approached her.

"…Oh my god. What _happened_ to you?!" Taken off guard, Kaede wrinkled her brow in confusion and suddenly remembered with realization that she hadn't cleaned herself up today due to this whole confusion with the white-haired kid, T.R. She knew she looked atrocious, battered pretty bad if Christa could notice.

"I…I fell when I was in gym today, all the way down the hill. Rolled down it. Bumped into some stuff. Nothing serious." Christa's look didn't change, and instead she tried to move closer to either hug her or take a closer look at her scratches. She retreated from the older sister instinctively, toward the stairs, making Christa stop and just look at her with the same fearful terror in her face.

"God, you're limping…Were you in a fight?"

"I'm fine… really." She replied sheepishly and crept up the stairs backward, keeping a slow retreat and found that Christa wasn't going to drop it. Her expression became a glower and she forcefully took the railing and followed her up the stairs stamping her feet. She was determined, which was also not a good thing; she'd tell Dad.

Kaede finally decided to make a break for her room at the final step. She swung around and leapt into the air, landed on the rug with a thud and a jingle and bolted for the bathroom door. Christa didn't have time to catch her, she wasn't taking Gym class anymore since it wasn't required and it left her sluggish, so it wasn't surprising when she was on the second to last step of the stairs when Kaede slammed the door shut and locked it from the inside, breathing hard and aching all over from that finally attempt. She backed away from it uncertainly as Christa's pounds of her fists and concerned coos started to ring through the door. Kaede wasn't listening. She was keeping away from the door and her soft talk was bouncing off her. It was far away in her buzzing mind, full of uncertainty, surprise, and stress. Her body was in flight or fight mode, and adrenaline was rushing through her veins. She was powered up and ready to run. She turned and looked at the window with certainty, but opened the mirror over the sink first. She took out the small medical kit and stuffed it her pocket before finally throwing the window open and letting the spring breeze flow over her.

It was a long drop to the lawn, a high enough point for her to break her leg if she jumped, and drained all the confidence from her. The distance dizzied her, making her want to bring her eyes back, but couldn't. The side of the red wall was covered in vines and other vegetation, all too far out of her reach to climb down on, and the tree branches were only twigs brushing against the window. It was looking as if she'd have to open the door.

"HEY!" Kaede woke up from her dizzy thinking and looked down toward the voice, ignoring the jiggling handle and Mat's sudden shouting from the hall.

"HOW DID YOU GET OUT SO QUICK?!" She shouted down to him, laughing at the strangeness of this day.

"SNEAKILY! YOU WANT OUT?!" Kaede shook her head vigorously and saw him cup his hands around his mouth again and shout.

"PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE VINES!" Kaede looked down at him with a confused expression and ran a finger through her ear to make sure she could hear right.

"SAY THAT AGAIN?!"

"KAEDE! OPEN THE DOOR!" Mat's voice growled over his answer, making her repeat herself again.

"TOUCH THE DAMN VINE YOU MORONIC FOOL!" Kaede blinked at him, but didn't dare question him further; she could hear Mat starting to pick the lock open. She forced her shaking hand as far down as she could on the wall and briskly brushed the green vine with the tips of her fingers. Its surface was fuzzy yet leathery, looking a very lime green. She was about to ask him what this had to do with anything when something very peculiar happened. The thing lurched an extra couple of feet under her finger tips right up to the window sill and over, like a huge lazy snake coiling up in a jungle tree branch. She started at it wide-eyed with complete utter shock for only a few moments when the banging got back into her ears. It was then she gingerly gripped the plant and whispered dazed thanks as it shortened again, pulling her out the window gently and onto the side of the house.

Unable to comprehend what was happening she clung to the rope-like plant in pure fright and wondering why she didn't just explain what had happened and wanted nothing more than to scream at the dizzying crawling feeling in her stomach, but it didn't last long enough for a shriek. It stopped its snaky journey at where it normally grew and left her clutching to it, like a coward going rock climbing for the first time, holding on to the rope for dear life, as she was now hugging the plant. She ignored the leaves tickling her nose and wanted desperately to get back up into the window and forced herself not to look down, knowing that if she did she'd instantly fall down, down, down, and break her whole body in an instant, just like a-

"CLIMB DOWN!" Her eyes widened in disbelief and turned to T.R. dizzily below.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

"NO! JUST DO IT!" He growled up at her impatiently. She looked down at him and looked at her hands, weighing the possibilities and listening to each of them with fear. The climb down part of the scale tipped down in her favor and she grumbled angrily to her self.

"Why am I doing this?" She asked helplessly, casting her eyes sky ward, as she gingerly adjusted her grip and put her quivering foot on a slim crack between bricks as she lowered herself down an inch and looked for another space for her other foot. She didn't want to bounce off the wall that would rip the plant off its foundation and send her tumbling down as well as breaking and killing it. So, she slowly crept down the side of the wall, taking short gasping breaths until her foot was right above T.R. annoyed looking up face.

"Thank you for your hurry your Highness." He said rudely.

"Hey, give me a break. I'm afraid of heights for crying out loud! I bet you didn't have to climb down walls when you were a kid." She retorted heatedly.

"Every day, sweetheart, every day. Now if you please, we have to get a move on, it will be only moments before your siblings get that door open and find you missing."

"Don't call me that." She snarled as she climbed down a few more feet and let her feet hit the ground with a soft thud, onto the shrieking grass she ignored. She patted the vines tenderly, and noticed that T.R. was watching her. Self consciously she murmured the quietest thank you her voice could handle, before turning back at him and following his anxious manner, by running after him.

"How did you know that the vine would do that?" She asked him, trying to keep up to his form. She had never seen anyone run like that. He ran fast, like deadly cobra strike fast. He seemed to fly and float at every step then actually met the ground with his feet now on the stretching sidewalk. He ran so swiftly it seemed like a second nature, a long learned and used method of travel, some how perfected to the extreme, like a life or death art. Clearly he must take cross country or sprinting sort of sport. He spared a glance at her between the wildly gliding swings of his arms and replied in a few spare breaths.

"How could I not know? You've got your mother's gift. Please, no questions need the extra breath." Kaede wouldn't argue, she was struggling to keep up with him.

For how long they ran like this was uncertain due to the rapid agony the flight was causing her muscles. She wanted to stop, but he clearly wanted her to follow and wasn't going to slow that pace. Besides, she wasn't sure where she was anymore; the city had grown huge in a matter of eternity minutes in her mind, and its maze doors had opened, presenting the challenge. The maze-city wasn't one she wanted to stay in, not with the snatches of blurred memory and the fact that T.R. though this was something to do with her mother. Her curious mind won out over her body's complaints and something broke inside her, making the pain go away, and taking the pace simply like an afternoon walk. Warm she felt on the inside, with the cool wind whistling in her eyes, as the adrenaline subsided in her and left her calm.

After a while T.R. grunted and stopped his pace on a dime, deciding they were far enough away to stop, catching her totally off guard. Needless to say, she tumbled straight into his back and made them both hit the ground. Kaede felt the claws of the pavement ripping at her and laughed at the stinking pain, making her feel better, until T.R. struggling from underneath her, cursing and grunting. That made her scramble to her feet, slightly blushing, as he got up and brushed himself off, his face out of view as she crumbled to her knees, holding the ground for comfort and breathing ragged breaths through her soar throat.

He waited for her to regain her breath intolerantly, tapping his foot and with his arms crossed much like a regular house wife, but manly enough with a blank pissed off look storming all over his face. She ignored him and sucked in huge amounts of air into her shaking weak body. When she felt she could, she wobbled to her feet and glanced at him faintly, and took a look around. They were in an alley way, shadowed immensely from the nearly set sun in the fiery red sky, making the scene seem more hideous and darkly. The perfect place to get jumped. She finally looked back to him, and saw his cool look returning to her.

"You must exercise more; your mortals get weaker and weaker by each generation."

"Yes. I would suppose you'd know that, if what you said was true. Why have you taken me here?"

"I haven't taken you. You followed of your free will."

"But you were leading me." He said nothing to this.

"Right?"

"Of course. You wanted to get away from your siblings. I presume you are the youngest of the lot, only older children that have the job of looking after you talk like that."

"Why are you doing all this?" She finally asked.

"Because I must."

"Why?"

"A slave always does what the master asks." His voice growled but his face remained passive as ever. She looked at him incredulously.

"You're a slave?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I was captured." He said tiredly and lowered himself to the pavement. Kaede could sense he was terribly frustrated.

"Who's your master?" He glared at her.

"You and the rest of your family, congratulations." He replied curtly, a dark temper glowing stronger in his dark eyes. Kaede was taken a back by this, slightly, enough to raise her eyebrows with surprise. This made sense, from all the stuff that was happening. Why he saved her from the girls. Why he helped her out of the house. Why he was talking to her right now.

"You have to do what I ask?"

"Yes." He answered irritably.

"For how long?"

"Your whole life and then the lives of your family's descendants." This was interesting; she had power over another human being. The idea made her want to use it, to use that power; she could do what ever she liked. But after moments of this happy cheery thought she thought it rather wrong and extremely unsettling that she had thought those things. She shook those thoughts away and looked at his hunched form. Yes, he was a bit of an annoying, stubborn, vicious bastard, but no one deserved to be a slave.

"How do I free you?" His head bolted up and looked at her. His eyes were filled with surprise and his lips were curled up evilly into a fang-filled grin, in which a broad laughing pierced the dusky air. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise and felt the icy air on her arms and shivered. T.R. was amusement didn't last long. Moments later his eyes glowed out of the shadow keenly but his voice returned with a morose ring.

"It is forbidden knowledge." He sighed.

"Forbidden? Why?"

"My old contract had quite a few rules, all of which expire when he or she passes on their legacy. I must abide by their rules until they pass away from this world, which doesn't seem to soon." Kaede slowly sat down on the pavement and took out the bright white first aid kit. She wasn't going home for a while; she could see that, so what was the harm of fixing herself up a bit while getting some answers?

"So your old Master is still alive?" She asked him, rolling her pant legs up to her knees, looking at a few black and blue marks on each of her legs, and a bloody gash on the left one.

"You win the gold prize." He replied with the same boredom in his voice.

"Can you tell me who they are?"

"Sorry, no. That is one of their decrees." Kaede nodded as she popped open the lid with a snap. Inside there were an assortment of tubes and cloths. She dug her fingers through the mess until she found the iodine. She gingerly took it out with a cotton swap.

"Okay. This women…or guy sounds pretty smart." He watched her dab the liquid onto the cut with ill interest but smirked at her sudden grimace.

"No matter how many times I do this I never get use to it." She stated irritably as she picked up the ointment and pooled some in her palm, a white thick goop that was cold to the touch. She used her fingers to dap some on the cut and rubbed it in.

"Oh. I don't think I said thank you, by the way, I probably would've been in a lot more pain than now…" She told him gratefully. He snorted at her.

"I was doing my job. That's all. Personally, I would've let you rot." He replied. All the praise she had for him was instantly sucked out of her. She was getting the idea that he was a very selfish person, just by his manner. It's like he hated the world, except himself. Not the best person to hang around with. She bit her lip with growing concentration as she placed the cloth over her injury and noisily wrapped the tape around it.

"Then why didn't you?" She asked as kindly as she could. It turned to a distant murmur.

"I couldn't let any harm befall the ring." She almost dropped her tape as she looked up at him incredulously.

"It's _your_ ring?" He looked at her amused.

"No. My spirit dwells inside the ring. It is now your ring." Kaede finished rolling down her pant legs and had started to check her arms when she stopped again.

"What do you mean? It's not mine, I just found it." T.R. shook his head and looked at her placidly.

"No. You were tested, and you passed. You carry the ring now, it is your responsibility." He told her serenely, and slowly rose to his feet, a look of complete emptiness flooding his face. She looked at him puzzled.

"But-"

"Quiet." He snappily whispered, closing her mouth in an instant, and opening the door further into her puzzlement; until she heard the soft tramp of footsteps.

"Someone's coming." He said calmly and then commandingly, "Hide." She got up as quietly as she could and grabbed the stuff in the same silent manner, trying to move fast but going slow for fear of sound, with her ears straining to pick up the sound again. The noise grew louder and louder with each step, soft and mysterious, bringing the fear to well up insider her.

She finally had all the stuff in the box and cradled into her arms and she looked around franticly for a hiding spot. There seemed to be nothing to hide behind, no dumpsters, no trash cans. Nothing. She turned to him fearful with wide eyes as the foot steps were so loud they almost over came the horrible roar of her beating heart. He rolled his eyes at her and with a look of disgust took her by the arm and shoved her into the shadow, out of the light, where she hit the wall gently and slip down to her knees and froze in place when a tall figure emerged from down the alley way.

It was tall, wearing a deep blackish purple cape, hiding it from head to toe, with its hood drawn and raised over the human-shaped thing's head, also masking the person's identity. The rustle of its following cape stopped at the sight of T.R., and moved its black open hood to face him, just enough time for her to catch a glimpse of a familiar golden eye and a chain.

T.R. stood tall to the right of her, holding his arms to his sides and looking at the thing composed as ever, with his feet slightly spread apart, his shadow splashing hugely against the brick wall on the other side of her. His eyes were bright and he was smiling a small half mouth smirk. He spread his hands out when the thing turned to him and made no move to greet it. But it spoke.

"Ah. Tomb Raider, it has been many moons since we last meet." A deep dark inhuman voice said, but it sounded screwed up because another more human voice said the same words under it simultaneously.

"Indeed. I see you're still in business after all these years…I expected no less from someone so stubborn." T.R. replied, "Whose poor soul did you send to the shadow realm to make it that way?" The figure chuckled at his comment and spoke in a pleased tone.

"That is the beauty of it, Tomb Robber, I didn't…I figured I might as well do as you do. Possess another; it is much easier than having to pretend. Am I right?"

"Yes. You're right. But it does have its flaws…so tell me, what business do you have with me? I know you didn't come here to chat."

"You're right, Thief, I didn't come here to talk with old partners on friendly matters." The twisted voice replied, "I've come for the new bearer."

"So, you've come for my ring? You'll have to duel me for it you know…" The figure slowly shook its hood.

"No, no. I don't want your weak ring. That will be a bonus. I came because I felt a surge of new power from the old library building, a familiar power. I had my men going there at once. They found a boy and a girl running from the house when I felt the power source moving away, so I told them to follow you. I expect the boy was you, Tomb Robber."

"Yes. I was there." T.R. admitted gleefully in his dark darling voice.

"I know your powers, so this new source of magic wasn't you. That only leaves the girl. I remember some years back when you lured a girl back into this world with power you wanted for yourself. I was there when she got away. I feel that same power now; very, very, very close by…tell me…old friend…where is she?"

"She's dead. She died years ago." T.R. told him calmly his eyes flashing. The figure grunted.

"Liar. You've been enslaved by the same source of magic. I can feel it swimming through you; you wouldn't be still caged if that power was gone."

"True, too true. But I tell you that girl grew old and sickly, and died of natural causes. You should know that, all girls grow into women after a certain amount of time. This was about thirty years ago, and she was fifteen then. She'd be older, and far wiser to do such a silly thing as to alert you." T.R. said, now interested in the dirt under his fingernails. The figure was silent for a while. The silence was so deep and complete that Kaede had to stop herself from breathing to remain hidden. The smallest noise would warn that thing, and then T.R's talk would've been for nothing. She could see he was trying to confuse it, and she hoped it was working.

The figure straightened and shifted on its feet ever so slightly, from the natural sway of its body.

"There are three children living in that house now. Her old hide-way. They are hers aren't they? From what you say it seems her power has passed and blossomed in one of them…Hmmm…interesting. Which one, Thief?" T.R. breathed onto his nails and rubbed them into his shirt a final time.

"You know I can't tell you. I'm the family's protector and...servant. It is my duty to keep them safe. Telling you who is who isn't a safe thing to do, now, isn't it?" He glanced up at the figure with a calm but mocking face. The thing shook a little, in small jerks, and a cold laughter poured into the air thickly, making the hairs on the back of her neck leap to the sky and her very marrow feel like ice.

"What is so funny?" T.R. asked him, still embracing that cool nature some how, even though his eyes were sparking with hidden rage.

"You are, Burglar. You've gone from a wild white tiger to a tamed house cat. You've lost the lethalness in all your threats. I know he made you promise never to kill again… I have the upper hand here. Be smart. You want them dead as much as I do. Help me and you'll be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams…" The figure's voice was luring, almost cooing, a sweet talk that made her skin crawl and her heart to betray and pound noisily in her ears. She saw his face. His eyes casted downward, twitching and darting, but his smile wide and devious as his mind savored the sweetness of it. Yes, she could see now he'd probably kill them if ever freed, and almost all hope of him having a freedom in the future was vanishing in her mind. Almost.

"A panther would be a better analogy." The air was suddenly silent.

"What?" The entwined voice asked startled.

"I've gone from a wild panther to a house cat. I'm sorry friend. The magic which binds me is too strong." He said this in a sort of sigh, and held out his arms in an apologetic way but kept a large thin smile on his lips. Kaede gave up deciding on whether or not she was fond or repulsed by him.

"Very well," The figure replied, "It's your funeral. RARE HUNTERS!"

Kaede suddenly heard more footsteps, bouncing off all the walls and weaving in and out of her ears, making it hard to figure out how many there were, until, that is, a whole mob of cloaked men, she assumed them to be men, approached from behind it. She watched with growing panic as about thirty 'men' stopped about three feet behind the first figure, forming a perfect line along the wall.

"My loyal servants," The figure proclaimed, it sounded like a man now, "listen to my request with please. Bring me the children of the Ryou house hold. Kill the father." He turned away, toward the mass of people, and said with more anger.

"And kill him while you're at it." Kaede let out a started breath as the figure suddenly convulsed on the spot, shuddering and yanking at unseen hands until it made a finally jolt and the body fell to the ground with a thump. And so ended the leader, or that's what she thought.

The crowd of purple seemed to have waited for that signal because now they started to approach T.R. head on, drawing closer and closer to him. He just stood there, fighting off the urge to look at where she hid, and didn't try to back away. She knew they were coming from behind as well. He was surrounded.

When a sort of circle gathered around his and her spot he moved from his tense position into a casual light-footed one. He raised his hands above his tilted head and with the biggest 'I'm a bad boy and loving it' he said smoothly.

"I give up." The mob was upon him in that moment. Someone lunged at him from the front of the line in a swift movement, trying to grab him. T.R. twisted from his surrender stance and faster than she could make out grabbed the guy by the arm and yanked him in such a way as to send him sailing into the curved line of purple behind him, knocking about a third of them of their feet. Then a chaotic melee set in.

She didn't know what was happening. Their was just an explosion of sound and knocked all the common sense out of her, screams, bellows, and grunts filled the air, that and the sound of serious thrashing. There was cracking and thumbing, as purple silhouettes tumbled to the ground. Everything was so blurred that Kaede couldn't tell what was happening, let alone who was winning or not, and only could catch glimpses of things, like seeing the world through a whole load of snap shots as everything slowed.

She caught a glance of T.R's elbow meeting straight into someone's face and a small bit of spray. She caught a look as he was grabbed from behind and how he doubled back on them, by bouncing hard into the wall and using the wall as a weapon, dropping the guy off pretty fast. One instant he was on his feet, the next he was suddenly low to the ground and kicking some guy off his feet with a powerful swing of his leg. She started at the whole mess gawking. She had to admit it; he was kicking serious ass.

The crowd seemed to slim down fast. There had been around thirty guys standing and in moments it seemed like a quarter of them were on the ground unconscious. She looked back to T.R. and saw him get punched hard in the face, sending his head whipping to the side, and down again as someone thrusted a fist into his chest. She watched the blood spraying and lost her sense of awe. There were too many of them. They needed to get away.

T.R. must have been thinking this too. He raised his hand over his head suddenly, almost in a flailing swimmer drowning sort of way as the crowd ganged up on him and swallowed him in purple cloth. But it wasn't flailing. The mob blew apart suddenly as a large wave of green bursted from within, tossing everyone out of the way and onto the ground. In a swift motion T.R. drew from the heart of the once circle and ran toward her. She knew what he was gonna do. She ran out of her hiding space into the orange light. He had seen her and turned in mid stride to the opening of the alley, bowling into the only guy standing and sending him to the ground as he hurtled through. Kaede jumped over the body and ran after him, swinging the first aid kit in her arms and trying hard to keep up with him with her cramping muscles.

She could've kept pace with him at any other normal day now. His pace was very slow compared to earlier. Just by seeing this it was apparent that he got the snot beat out of him in the process; he gripped his chest and took large breaths of air as she ran next to him.

"You okay?" He glared up at her.

"Does it _look_ like I'm okay?!" He snapped bitterly.

"What was that whole green firework display?"

"Not now they're gaining on us…Magic." He retorted and sped faster as she turned about found that about ten of them were indeed coming after them. She turned toward him wide-eyed and a jittery and tried to gulp down the hard ball of panic in her mouth, but still found herself on the edge of tranquil sense. She fought back panic with thoughts of other things, as she flung around the corner following T.R, with thoughts of what homework needed to be done or how Mat's newest cat hissing thing he called a song went. She couldn't stay in that door of her mind, she was constantly slipping out, getting thrown out on the door mat of reality where she found her legs burning and the shouting and breathing behind them louder, running down the side walk past skyscrapers, little market shops, and bars wakening to the cool welcome of a full moon to take on another good night of business.

She felt like screaming for help, but it wouldn't work. If someone did come and help them it would be the word of two teenage kids, dirty and filthy with fit aids and lock picks in their pockets against those men behind them, claiming they'd been robbed or something. It was clearly a stupid thing to do. She found herself humming to the weird jingling the ring was making and her hands waving in a sort of pattern, that and T.R looking at her expectantly.

"…What?" She gasped at him. He rolled his eyes and reached out behind him for her hand. She was hesitant; looking at it through all the bobbing up and down from running was doing to her sight and finally grabbed it.

"Listen, child, this will be your very first lesson." T.R wheezed, he wasn't breathing too well, and she suspected he got punched rather more than he was letting on. She didn't interrupt him when he said child or lesson, no point, she realized he had a funny way of just assuming stuff and got angry when she asked questions. Save the questions for later.

His sweaty grip tightened on her hand, making her flinch and turn back to him. He was brushing through his hair madly, fingers leaping and swirling the white locks messily, until he paused and pulled something dark and round out. In a quick swing his hand let go and grabbed again, forcing the hard round object into her grasp before letting go. She opened her mouth to ask what it was because when she opened her palm she found a very small sphere, hard and definitely familiar. It was a seed.

She looked up from it to his turned face startled. His eyes were wild, ablaze with an emotion she couldn't place, something new burned and scorched inside, something desperate. All his calm was gone, all that was left was those untamed dark abyss eyes, glowing and singing a song she knew in her heart and had felt everyday at the end of the day of school. Failure and fear, twisted into one toxic poison of the mind. A poison he now had admitted he drank by the look on his face.

"Make it grow." His voice slithered, and his feet made a finally two stomps, and then stopped abruptly. He wavered, actually swayed on step, and fell forward onto his knees with a thud, and fully down on his stomach in the next second. Kaede had to slide to stop herself and go back to him, kneeing down immediately, hoping he wasn't dead for some weird reason.

But all she could see was the approaching figures, coming, coming, coming, at her like a waterfall of apposing force, coming to take her away and to kill Dad. Probably to kill Mat and Christa when they found it wasn't them they were after. Probably to kill him too.

Everything had slowed down, and her eyes were on the body laid out in front of her crouched position, poised for god knew what as the shouting bellowed into her ears. Death was upon her, laughing mockingly in her mind, until her instincts broke out and her hands rose in a cupped poise, opened toward them, her eyes squinted in aiming, and a woman's voice filling her ears.

"Your hands will know what to do." The serenity-filled calmness of one voice. A voice that she locked away, but now roamed free in her heart for that one moment were all control was lost, and sang joyously in her bounding ears as her hands buzzed and light came pouring out of the opening, large blinding light, as the voice sang on. The voice of her mother.

Something happened. Kaede didn't know what, but her arms felt the surge of it and the powerful recoil, like a rifle knocking back at the hunter's shoulder after a clean shot, flying out. Something green and leafy sprang and coiled, tightly, around the ten men, catching their feet and constricting them, writhing all over their purple caps, weaving their shouts of rage from their bodies to a whole.

And as quick as it came it stopped coming from her hands and let her arms out of its hold, to sag at her sides as she took a deep sputtered breath and forced the voice back. Her body shook, not from stain, but fright, looking at the ten men bounded securely in vines, kicking and muffling, but defiantly bound. She knew she had done that, not sure how but she did it, and the power behind it was potent. She _liked_ the feel of letting it go, having it bend to her every wish; she knew power. She was suddenly scared of herself, at those thoughts, and knew immediately that was why people in those old stories about magic went corrupt in the first place. She quickly shook her head, shoving the thoughts back for later as she cursed and came back to the problem at hand.

She looked down at T.R's form and frowned, watching the dirt of many shoes dancing in front of his turned face, dancing from the small breaths he was taking. He was exhausted, and probably had fainted, but he wasn't dead. The problem was getting him home. She already knew the answer to this, even though she didn't like it, thought of the other possibilities. Nope, none of them would work. She sighed tiredly as she pulled his arms and heaved him up off the ground shakily, and then put him down again as she fell, finding him far too heavy to carry like a baby.

Taking a few breaths, she thought it over again, and decided just to drag him a bit. She hauled on his arm and placed it over her shoulder and grabbed his waist and pulled both of them up with all her might. She stood, muscles in her arms straining, but she would manage. She took the first step forward to a very long walk home.

Book Dragon: "Hopefully, this answered some questions."

Book Dragon: "If there is any live out there are all, please review."


	6. Bandaging

Chapter 6: Bandaging

Kaede shook wearily as she lifted her head, wiping her soaking snow-white locks with amounts of body odor smelling sweat. The house laid before her, dark red in the dying night air about her, standing high and mighty in front of the wakening dull light of early morning, welcoming her home.

She sighed warmly for a moment, taking in the cold air, ignoring her frozen fingers and numb feet, and heaved the body under her arm closer to her, unthinking about how it looked to the outside world. Her mind was groggy, and didn't really bother with the thought of being watched, only that her friend would've frozen to death if she'd left him there. Yes, he was a bastard and a prick, but she still owed him her life, even if he had to protect her against his will.

She trudged forward, feeling the wear of her muscles as they screamed in protest, but ever scream was answered to eat shit and die because they were going to do as she said. She held a strange benevolent smile on her pale and shivering face as her feet trudged forward off the side walk onto the grass toward the side of the house, around it to the right side, to the thick green vine growing along its side. Smiling she stroked it lovingly, making it shake awake and asking in its own smooth way what she wanted.

"Beam me up Scotty." She replied with that same eerie grin, remembering that her mother had said it a lot before she passed. The vine groaned and shifted in annoyance off the wall and coiled its green body around her waist and the boy's body in her embrace snuggly, then with a might heave, it lifted both of the teens off the ground and up into the sky.

In through the open window they went and where placed lightly on her feet onto the tiled floor with ease from the vine. Kaede dreamily patted it and murmured her thanks as she heaved the boy up off the floor so his feet were not on the ground and it looked like she was giving him a bear hug as she swung around and opened the locked bathroom door.

Dazed she hummed a little tune to herself and walked into her bedroom door, bumping it open with a soft squeak as she entered and squealed in return as her foot shut the door behind her. Gingerly she trudged the last few steps and dropped his motionless body on the bed with a thud and a bounce and pulled the blanks out from underneath him creakily and threw them over him. As if on cue he groaned slowly and rolled over, taking the blankets in a fist and pulling them further up as he rolled into her pillow, taking a deep breath and exhaling peacefully. Kaede snorted at him and swayed tiredly, watching the world spin a little, until she steadied herself. Tiredly she grunted at the fact that she still vaguely needed a bath before she went to bed and found herself a moment later in the bathroom turning the knob and taking off her clothes as the hiss of hot water gurgled out.

At the right water level she turned off the water and climbed into the water and submerged herself under a layer of bubble bath, up to her neck. She leaned back, content with the warmness flowing through her and didn't know she fell asleep.

"Kaede, you idiot, wake up!" A voice grumbled in her ear, making her open her exhausted eyes to a blurred Christa, sitting on the edge of the white tub, looking at her angrily and worriedly. Kaede dully blinked at her, and turned over, facing her back to her as her face pressed against the plastic lining of the tub, closing her eyes to go back to sleep. Christa kept her awake by shaking her, her hand warm on her prickled skin. Kaede groaned annoyed.

"Five more minutes." She grumbled sleepily at the continued shaking.

"No you don't. You'll drown. Get out." Kaede groaned sadly and slowly turned over and lifted herself up wearily out of the water and took the out stretched towel and rapped it around herself as she got out. Christa dried her off thoroughly, cooing over how soft her hair had got, keeping her on the borders of sleep. Kaede dressed in white cotton pants and a black t-shirt and stumbled as she followed Christa's pull on her wrists, into her room. Kaede looked at T.R under the blanket tiredly and didn't notice Christa pulling the blankets off him and pushing her onto the bed.

She didn't wonder of why her sister didn't scream in surprise, or why she wasn't shocked at all, just normal faced as she pulled the blankets over the both of them, only looking at her, and patting her head as she left her room. Kaede was aware enough that this was wrong, both to the fact that Christa didn't notice him in the bed as she was sleeping in the same bed as a boy, and sleepily got out of the bed with her remaining strength, swaying to the closet door and grabbing a spar blanket and curling it around her, as she watched the world swing and turn to darkness as she fell into her desk chair with a soft thud.

Kaede woke with a start to a thunderous bang from inside her room, making her hurtle forward too fast for her to keep herself from falling to the floor. The world only spun for a few moments when a blurred vision of T.R crept into her sight. His angry face came into focus, eyes glazed with fury, and his mouth set in a plastered snarl before he turned on heel to the mirror and glared at his reflection. Wondering what had gotten him in such a foul mood, she rose off the floor guardedly, watching his expression close for a few minutes until she got to the decision to ask him what was wrong. She collected her courage and was about to ask him what was the matter when he gritted his teeth into a painful snarl and slammed his fists down on the dresser and growled as he whipped tubes and containers off onto the floor in a violent movement of his arms.

She stood there, rigid with uncertainty at the intensity of the moment, and waited for him, now staring at the settling tubes and smashed boxes full of spilling powder, to control his ragged breathing and calm down before she opened her mouth.

"You okay?" It was obvious that he wasn't, but she wanted to get him talking. He faced her, his eyes stormy and dark but welling with on coming tears.

The only time she had ever seen a boy about to cry was when her mother died, and that had been her brother's expression at her casket, pale and stormy eyed with tears running down onto his black suit as he placed the white flowers rigidly onto her coffin. An expression screaming to be told why someone he had taken for granted could so easily step aside in his life. How completely unfair it was. Kaede remembered being taken back by his sudden stream of tears and deep emotion. He'd never let anything make him cry, for as long as she'd had known him, and that was her whole life.

And looking at T.R's tearing face shadowed Mat's young face dramatically, and she was unable to keep the door in her head closed, it evaded her strength and bursted through with extreme force, knocking the door wide open and making herself loss control at the sudden surge.

There was no control of her feet. She walked forward in quick strides toward him in the grace she always tried to hide. She also didn't understand why the voice screaming she should stop was being gagged so violently when she put her arms around his neck and hugged him, her body not listening to her shrieking mind that he didn't even have a shirt on and that this was so incredibly stupid. She felt him go rigid under her, his breath go suddenly hoarser, like he couldn't breath, which was weird, and with that she battled the annoying force back behind its door and came to her senses.

She herself went rigid, and feeling foolish, lowered her arms and looked at his confused and puzzled face, watching him as her face redden and her eyes dart to the floor. It was then that his lips twitched for a moment and he glared at her coldly as he snorted.

"Mortals." He snarled, but he didn't move from his spot.

Surprised that she wasn't hurt by his comment, she carefully bent down and picked up the small brown bottle off the floor with a few cotton swaps and carefully ushered him into the chair she had been sleeping on.

He didn't protest, but sat down in the chair and waited patiently as she soaked the swap and placed it on one of the opened wounds. He snarled at the pain, making her flinch back frightened. When he didn't make a comment she warily dabbed the liquid onto another cut and expected the snarl. He didn't do anything, just stared boredly on. So, she continued to clean the cuts on his back, ignoring the well toned muscles and the familiar male body odor. Some how completely sure this is what had set off the anger. Why else would this stuff be out in the open if he didn't take it out?

Diligent in her work, she whipped it off and applied the white cream carefully; unaware of the hair rising on the back of his neck as she did so, just that his back seemed to be full of cuts. She took the first aid stick on bandages where she could on all the small cuts, but some in some places the skin gouged and needed to be bandaged with cloth. She ended up binding his torso in the soft cloth a couple of times. Whipping the droplets of sweat from her brow she took pleasure at her detailed work as he gingerly stood up and tested them.

"Hm." Was all he said during this. She expected no thank-yous, but was surprised not to hear any insults either. Deciding not to spoil the moment, she kept this to herself, and simply walked out the room.

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	7. Leaving Home

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Book Dragon: "Here is the next chappy

Chapter 7: Leaving Home

She felt a bit dazed since her work, or maybe it was the hot sun on her back that made her feel so blank. She wasn't stopped by Christa's queries about why she had been in the bath tub and why she had locked herself in there anyway between preparing lunch for herself. The vicious snarl she gave her was sufficient to shut her up. Kaede had ignored the knife and jam falling to the floor as she swept carefully out of the room and somehow found herself on the front porch, with a light blue jacket pulled over her head, and her feet briskly walking off toward the sidewalk.

Maybe it would've been wise to stay with T.R. during this time instead of leaving him in her room alone. Maybe she should have taken something to eat for breakfast or in the least brought some cash with her. Maybe she shouldn't have done that to her sister, who had taken her out of the bath at god knows what hour in the morning and placed her in bed with a fairly attractive teenage boy. And then maybe she should have grown horns and took over hell.

Her eyes shifted from the glaring stance to a soft sad look. Alright, so she's done stupid shit in the last few hours. This was also an arrogant idea since those... hooded guys were probably still running around. Yes, they were definitely still running around. It was like she could smell it in the air, feel it in the pavement through her shoes, and hear it in the lulling breeze and constant murmurings of the bushes. The grass buzzed annoyed shouts as her shadow stopped on them and took away their sunlight. Swaying she ignored them, better to ignore than scream, not worth dealing with right now.

"What does it say?"

Kaede wasn't surprised when she found the T.R. standing calmly behind her. She knew she should have, for no man could run fast enough to get here and quietly enough for her ears not to pick it up. Not that fast. She realized that she believe what he had told her. So she was crazy after all.

His striped blue and white shirt was back on, which made her feel a little more comfortable. She creased her brow at his question.

"The grass. What does it say?" Kaede's eyes glanced at the grass and shrugged.

"Basically their telling me to get the hell out of the way. I'm taking away their natural oven, you know." She started trotting again, T.R. at her side and matching her stride as he kept vigilant eyes on everything that moved.

"You know this an idiotic thing to do with all those Rare Hunters around, don't you?"

"Should I have stayed in the house?" She asked calmly. T.R. shook his head bitterly.

"No, Marik's good at tracking magic scents. I'd say he was part dog if it were biologically logical for a human and dog to mate." Kaede wasn't even going to go there with this little conversation.

"I'm assuming those purple capes are Rare Hunters, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"May I also assume that Marik is the man that was making death threats last night?"

"Yes."

"So I've got a mass of hunters after my scent and a crazy man ordering them all because I'm just as insane because I believe you're somehow linked to this stupid ring-"

"The ring isn't stupid."

"-around a cord I'm wearing that belonged to my father's. And you're a thief of some kind, which hates me, and will probably kill me if I let you loose. Does that sum it up?"

"In more or less words it does." T.R., or maybe TombRobber, snarled softly.

"What solid ground of my old life do I have left here?"

"From my view you're standing on the edge of a knife, and with your balance it's only me keeping you from stabbing yourself, sweetheart."

"Don't call me sweetheart." She retorted coldly.

The next motion went by too fast. She had been walking briskly with her hands in her pockets, but all of a sudden her hands were out and held tightly in his clamped hands, and she was only a few inches away from his face. His brown eyes were dark and hate glistened in them like a fresh coat of highly polished paint.

"I will call you what I wish,_ sweetheart_. You may have control over my serves, but never my mind. You never will have that. Hope to Ra that I never escape these bonds because if I do, you will know the true meaning of pain." His red tongue rolled the words perfectly behind long white fang-like teeth, his breath hot on her face and in her eyes. She should've been frightened, but strangely enough, she felt a different sort of bubbling in her stomach, a feeling felt at their first conversation in the kitchen. An iron-hot movement that rose from the depths of her and shown brightly, like high beams in the dead of night; hot rage.

She didn't need to think about what she was going to say, it was just sort of there, that on upon reflection several hours later she found herself embarrassed at what flopped out of her mouth.

"Let go of me you bastard or I'll kick you so hard you won't be able to even think about whether or not you can have kids." She watched the intense rage fill his eyes for a flicker of a moment before it subsided to a cool interest as he tightened his hands carefully, enough to sting but not be in un thinkable pain.

"Try me, _sweetheart_." Raged consumed all the space inside her skull so largely that she didn't have time to rethink it, only to feel her own finger nails twist and claw deep into his arms, hard enough to draw blood as she howled, and swing her knee up like a sledge hammer straight into…

For several hours the simple thud-thud and click-click of shoes from all the crowds filled the conversation between them, that and their careful pace set them apart. Kaede ignored them, keeping her head lowered and her fists clenched in her pockets, ignoring the hum of trees as well as the human speech droning around them, nor the increasingly irritated feeling of bodies close together. She found it easy to ignore the sun's alarming height as the afternoon came to a close. This dimming light was drawing out the nocturnal people, the same way bats sleep in the day and feed at night. A need to for entertainment of the night-life was too pleasant to be ignored in such days. Personally, she would have ever much liked to get off the street and go home, but with that…what was his name? Mark? With that… _guy_ lurking around she was positive it would be stupid. But out here in the open, that was worse.

She looked up to a bright neon light blinking painfully into her eyes and then noticed the cloud of fog fluttering from her mouth and shivered as she hunched her shoulders and pulled her arms around to stay warm. It was in the middle of autumn, after all, and all she had on was a flimsy spring jacket. What was almost even worse was the fact that her belly was snarling with feeble hunger, a hunger she was desperately trying to ignore for the past four hours. Somehow it was the last straw.

"Hey, are you hungry?" She had stopped and turned to ask him. The piercing dark brown glare was enough to make her want to wince. After a few moments of shaking he made two very distinct shakes of his head. His vicious eyes never felt her face.

"Okay, I can see you're still pissed at me…" She muttered tiredly and looked about her self, shivering in her shoes, wondering what to do next.

"Oh…Why can't I think of anywhere to go?!"

"Because you're an idiot." A flare of annoyance pulsed but before she could bite her tongue she spoke.

"Well mister genius, what great idea do you have?"

"We go to Kaiba." Kaede wrinkled her brow in puzzlement. Kaiba? He didn't mean the cooperation did he? The richest company in the world with not only sun powered laptops, TV phones, electric cars, and (its proudest task) the biggest gaming company in history? No, he couldn't have. He couldn't know the President of Kaiba Corp. That would be impossible; it was much after his time if what he says is true.

And yet, in the darkening hours of approaching night, she could see in his eyes that he wasn't lying, in his heart he was telling the truth. His eyes _told her so_.

She started at him with a surprised look and wondered if she should have been relieved or even more nervous.

"You want us to go to Kaiba Cooperation…?"

"Yes." He replied in a snort, "Is there a problem with my idea?"

"Maybe…probably the fact that they wouldn't want to even talk to us, for one. You know how big businesses are, 'No appointment! Get out!' to the common person."

"Ah, that's were you are wrong, my dear," He said boastfully as he edged around her and started walking down the street briskly. Kaede followed without even thinking about it.

"Why is that?"

"Because I have a special…er…ticket. Something that fool will want enough to send us straight up into his office."

"And what is that?" T.R's eyes suddenly sparkled like coins in the Brazilian sun light.

"What every beaten man craves for…Revenge."

Kaede wondered later if T.R's plan had actually gone accordingly, would things had turned out any better?

Book Dragon: "Please review."


	8. Family Life

Chapter 8: Family Life

Yugi looked straight into his eyes. His purple eyes were fierce as a lion's, twisting his grim gaze. His pale fingers were looking at the card he had just drawn, his mind ticking away as to find the right move to crush him. But no matter what he did, he couldn't be able to defeat him. Not _this time._

"Make your move, Yugi! You know defeat is inevitable. I will be the most powerful duelist in the world!" He smocked smoothly to his rival. Once again he had all blue eyes out on the field, all hungering for the next monster the midget had to play. He also had his crust card out, making impossible for him to win. The game was his, Seto Kaiba's, for the taking.

But like what actually happened, and in a twisted not, Yugi's gaze shifted and a smirk played upon his lips. But instead of playing his card, he suddenly shot up twenty feet into the air, no longer a short kid but a terrifying. His eye sockets were suddenly full of bright blinding light has his body turned black like a shadow. His hair ruffled violently and the millennium puzzle bounced mercilessly on his chest.

"No Kaiba!" His voice boomed, and showed his very long and sharp fangs protruding from his gapping mouth. His smirking mouth in his looming face. Blue eyes widened in fright as Kaiba himself shook in his trench coat at the huge monster poised in front of him. Yugi, or the huge Monster, didn't lead forward. Instead he opened his jaws again.

"Beware Kaiba. Beware the White. Beware the merciless darkness. Or death _will_ come to you and yours…" Then suddenly the monster's foot came out of no where, knocking him off the building screaming, screaming, screaming…

…screaming until Seto Kaiba hit the bedroom floor with a loud thud and jerked awake. For a few moments he laid on the floor, face down, sweating greatly, wide-eyed and subconscious waiting to be devoured by great a great fanged mouth. But nothing like this happened. Not in reality.

_"It was just a dream…it was just a bad dream"_ The great CEO still struggled to control his deep shallow breathing as he heaved himself up off the floor, telling him to get a hold of himself, that he shouldn't be getting stressed out due to some continuous nightmares. Standing on his feet, he felt the ache of his bones and patted down his matted, partially gray, hair and sighed in relief. He was still in his the comfort of his own bed room, hadn't hit anything but his head, and most importantly, he hadn't woken his wife. Which had to be some sort of miracle.

She often questioned him about these nightmares. And most often he had to lie through his teeth. He hated lying to her. She always took him seriously when he did, and it made him feel extremely guilty. But he couldn't tell her the truth. It would stir up past matters wanting desperately to be left alone.

Suddenly the door creaked. Kaiba looked up so fast that he would be suffering from whip lash the next day at work. In that two second period he hoped it had been the wind. It wasn't.

"What are you doing up so late?" Kaiba looked down at the boy, half in half out of the door way wearing blue PJs and pondered how to answer this question with out getting a billion questions in return.

"Umm…sleeping…"

"Why are you sleeping standing up?" In all his head racking, Kaiba never found a way of getting out of this dilemma.

"Because I was sleep walking." The boy's icy blue eyes questioned him. Kaiba could see the gears working behind those blue eyes, his quick wittedness seemed past on through some part of the family line. Kaiba was proud of that. His gaming skills however…

"You've never slept walked before…"

"What are _you_ doing up at this hour?" The older man countered. The boy's eyes widened, and that big brain was clicking fast at options. Kaiba watched him, unknowingly crossing his arms and taking that 'well, I'm waiting stance'. The fourteen-year-old started at him for an extra moment.

"I was sleep walking, too. I guess." Replied the child with a smirk and bright knowing eyes. Kaiba's eyes widened considerably, recognizing the smile immediately with shock and surprise as his face twisted. The boy's smile was immediately whipped from his face at his reaction.

"Dad? Are you alright? You're not having a heart attack or something, are you?" Kaiba quickly whipped the expression off his face in a flash and replaced it with a stern mask. "Go to bed, Javas." Javas frowned deeply and sighed and began to turn.

"And Javas," The boy turned back quickly, "Don't tell your mother about my sleeping walking."

"I won't if you don't mention mine." Javas said, and smiled politely. Kaiba smiled back at his son and watched his peachy face leave the door way. He also watched his son walk into his room and quietly shut the door.

Scratching his blonde haired head all the while.

"So you haven't seen her? Okay…yes, thank you very much."

Bakura hung up and started to dial the police again with frantic fingers. He didn't ignored his other two children sitting on the couch behind him, eyes down, and minds riddled with guilt as well as a bit of anger. But still, it was better to lick the emotional wounds instead of arguing again. They found arguing their father when he was this freaked was a bad idea.

"Hello police? Yes, I know I've called already but I want to know if you could just please just make a few calls, please-" He paused suddenly.

"Yes, yes, I know but she's been missing all day and-" he paused again.

"AH WELL YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOUR TALKING ABOUT!" He suddenly screamed into the receiver, making them both jump. Some stern but loud talking filled the receiver but Bakura was beyond caring about the police, and was only enraged when they said he was over reacting. The fact the police officer just called him a bastard wasn't helping.

"WELL FUCK YOU!" He slammed the phone receiver down hard; creating a loud bang on the table, and making his remaining children jump again, not from the screaming or the slam, but the fact that he used the F word. Their father was not one to swear, and it would have just been shocking to here him say bastard. The F word was enough to tell them how bad the situation was.

He turned his face back in their direction as he started pacing, his eyes were dull, but wide, and the purple that had lined the bottom of them was now an almost black color. His face was whiter than his hair, if that were possible, and his fingers shaking ran through his locks in jerks.

His clothes baggy about his figure, easy to see that he had lost a lot of weight. They didn't know why he was loosing so much weight or what had been stressing him, it hadn't happened when they arrived, but for some reason unknown he was loosing it. Some sort of stress had gotten the better off him. And this was obviously the last straw.

Mat got up and tried to calm his father down by placing a hand on his shoulder. Bakura stopped for an instant and looked at his son with deep troubled eyes. Between the chocolate brown and hazel eyes passed a wordless communication that only a father and a son could understand. Bakura placed his hand over his son's for a brief moment before starting off into the hall.

"I'm going to see Mr. Mutou; he'll help me search for your sister. I want you two to stay here in case she comes back. Whatever you do, DO NOT let anyone in." Both kid's nodded simultaneously and watched their father drag his heavy coat from the hall way and grabbed the door knob with tired eyes. He paused a moment, then turned to his children.

"I love you." He left.

The rhythmic sound of the wind shield wipers was deaf to his ears as he passed through slow traffic. It had just started to sprinkle moments ago, but he knew from the deep blackness that was once the sky that this was going to be one mother of a thunderstorm. Turning the wheel to his blue sedan around the corner with icy hands he ran a stop sign that said to yield. He was lucky no one was driving. The weather reported had said it was going to be raining so much that no one should drive unless it were completely necessary. This classified as a necessity.

_"I can't lose any of them. Not again."_ The first time had been painful enough. Gripping the wheel with the might of death, Bakura was unable to keep the memory from his waking eyes.

_ The rain pattered in endless streams upon the house, much like it would fourteen years from then. Bakura rubbed his index finger around the edge of his coffee thinking calmly, finding a reasonable way to solve the problem. But no matter how much he thought, one never came. There _was_ no reasonable answer._

_"We could always destroy it." He said carefully, looking up into bright hazel eyes. The fair haired women in front of him looked at him lovingly, but in her eyes he could still see the distress. Her face was pale and her fingers patted her enlarged belly and slowly her eyes settled on her unborn child. Bakura gazed too, thinking of the wonderful yet sometimes stressful situations that would bring three children. He took great comfort in knowing his other two were nested safely in their beds at such a late hour, and probably always would._

_"No Bakura." The woman said her eyes downcast toward the growing baby, "You can't destroy him. He's part of you."_

_"He is _not_ part of me." Bakura retorted angrily, but immediately softened his face for her. Stress was bad during pregnancy._

_"Yes, he is. You're entwined. I know what I'm taking about. I did read all about you before I came here as a child. You know this, Bakura." He looked into the beautiful face of his wife and placed a hand over her stomach, looking deeply into her eyes._

_"Ryelle, you know I love you, but what other way is there than destroying him?"_

_Ryelle looked into his eyes so deeply he felt as if she were feeling inside his mind with deep mournful eyes._

_"I love you, always remember that, Bakura."_

Bakura whipped the tears fogging his vision and jerked the barking stick into place as he scrambled from his car, walked up the green grass to the equally green door and banged on the door. By the time the door was unlocked and a pair of eyes were looking at him, his face was covered in tears.

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	9. Private Thoughts

Book Dragon: "Thank you for support!"

Chapter 9: Private Thoughts

The once famous and dangerous Tomb Robber of ancient Egypt sat under the leaky roof of an abandoned house, carefully watching the shadows for any disturbance, guarding the Bakura's child with irritated vigilance.

He knew it was too late to contact Kaiba that night, so they wandered a couple of more hours. With no money and only the pocket knife Bakura had taken from the girl months ago as any sort of protection it was clear there options had been few. Even worse a thief knew a mother of a storm when he saw one. So with little time and no money, he used his intellect from thousands of years ago and created a plan. He took her to one of the abandoned buildings of the poor street corner they were on. Kicking in the boards around the door had been easy, comforting her into getting her to sleep had not.

"Are you sure this place is safe? I think I can see one of the boards in the ceiling about to fall in."

"Yes. It is as safe as we're going to get with out going back to your home. So go to sleep already."

"What if someone comes in?" He sighed, looked about from behind the musty couch they were hiding behind, and sighed again.

"Then I'll keep watch while you sleep, satisfied?" Kaede thought a moment.

"Alright, just walk me up in five hours, I'll take over." And without saying another word she curled up into a shivering ball and closed her eyes. In about a half hour her eye lids were flickering, telling the thief she was deep in the lands of dreams. For once in that whole entire day he sighed with relief, but not to loudly not to wake her. She was better asleep than wake, he hated the constant queries. Although, the spark in her eyes would be missed.

T.R shook his head hard.

_"What the hell am I thinking?"_ He made himself go back to business than answer that question. And he did, for countless hours he ignored the stench of rotting floor boards and watched the through the dimness, his head up enough to see over the back board of the couch, with his human eyes. Being the black cat would help him see better, but if anyone actually came through the door, he wouldn't be able to protect the girl in such a small size, so that wasn't an option. He kept his eyes wide and finally couldn't ignore how badly she was shaking. Grumbling he took off his shirt, exposing his bare chest, and placed it over her carefully. Powers beyond him would've forced him to give her his other clothes for warmth but he knew very well that she would've wanted his clothes to stay on him. He had been aware she had been in bed with him that morning, due to her sister, and she had sleepily got out and slept on the chair. That had hurt a bit.

The extra warmth of the shirt made what ever dream she was having more pleasant, for that moment a smile slipped onto her face, and she uncoiled a bit, relaxed her muscles and brushed her check against his hand before turning over. It was that moment that he froze stiff for a puzzling second before turning back to his watch. Even shirtless, the sudden warmth on his hand somehow made him warm all night.

Early golden sun rays woke Kaede from a good dream she had been having, making the world seem pink from behind her eyes. For a few moments she felt she was sleeping in her own bed, that it wasn't a school day but a sunny Saturday morning. Yes, she could hear Mat snoring from his room. It must have been pretty loud to hear it through the wall, but it actually sounded close and soft to her ear. This puzzled her for a few moments, but her tired brain decided it was too early. Grabbing a handful of blanket she brought it to her face and turned back over. It was then that slightly damp floor met her hand and her eyes flew open as she shot up off the floor, the t-shirt gripped tightly in her fists and her breathing heavy for a few seconds.

Then it all came rushing back. The ring, the crazy violent thief from an old, the purple caped men, the bizarre plant reactions, and leave the house so suddenly with no supplies. All flying into her face as pleasantly as having a flashlight turned on point blank in the heart of darkness.

"What is wrong with me?" She muttered. Her eyes slipped from the blankness of the wall to the curious feeling in her hands, someone's shirt. A little startled she immediately looked to the couch and saw T.R. slumped over the decaying blue fabric, his eyes closed and his mouth open, snoring quietly with no shirt on. Looking back down to the stripped t in her hand an awkward feeling brushed over her mind slightly, making her but the clothing, spread out, across his back lightly before sitting down back on the floor, wondering what if she should wake him up or not. Watching him sleep for a few minutes she flinched and the sudden snarl in his sleep and the boy flipped onto the other side, still with his torso hanging over the back board and his feet slumped on the floor.

On second thought, he _did_ stay up all night and it would be good to get a few hours of peace before his grumpy attitude awoke up.

"Look, if you had woken me up when I asked you and just listened to me when I said it might me better for you to get a few extra hours of sleep, then _maybe, just maybe_ you wouldn't be so…so…irritable."

T.R. snarled in disagreement, but his eyes had lost their devious luminance and were only weary dim stars. Kaede found that she felt a bit more comfortable with this change. Why this was she had no idea; perhaps with the lack of sleep, her instinct said his wits and movement would be slow. In her mind she knew this wouldn't be true. In the bright daylight, it was easy to see that even through more than thirty hours with no sleep, his eyes didn't droop in anyway, and his mind was as sharp as ever. Maybe _that_ was actually why she actually felt comfortable.

Giving up with what she felt, she awoke from his trance the instant before his outstretched arm blocked her path and halted. She gave him a small curious glance from the corner of her eye, eyes flashing in a bit of surprise at the wide-eyed sparkle and the large devious smirk dancing upon his lips. Something about this smile was ghastly. It was enough to feel more than startled. She felt curiously alarmed.

Turning her head a bit too fast to see what he was looking at, she was puzzled to see no CEO walking down the street with body guards, or purple caped men, but a regular city street. A large crowd of bored businessmen in suits kept checking their watches and continued to wait for the walk light to turn green. Some of the kids rushed by them playing tag and giving her odd looks as they walked off in the direction of the school, creating a path through the crowd like a mole through dirt, chiming with their laughter and mummers. A small group of huddled kids playing games on the sidewalk, careless to what time is was as well as the weekday. The cars darted by noisily, with the extra sound of enraged taxi drivers even at this hour of the morning, the cars spewing fumes up high into the blue sky, the steady tramp of feet of shoppers in the building across from them, the regular bell sound of the cash register, and of course the low drone of the trees planted perfectly along in the center of the side walk. Everything was normal, or as normal as life could be at the moment.

"…What's going on?" She asked, while whispering.

"…Fate."

Book Dragon: "Cliffy! Don't worry, I'll update in three days… Please review!"


	10. Introducing the Kaiba

Book Dragon: slams head repeatively against wall "This. Is. What. I. Get. For. Writing. Everything. Before. Hand!"

Book Dragon: "I swear, I've been doomed to write romances…"growls

Book Dragon: "But. Who says she'll like him?" evil smirk

Chapter 10: Introducing the Kaiba

Javas just started at the boy with the iciest glare he had ever displayed, but on the inside his mind was on the edge of panic. Staring the challenger was the only way to get out of this mess unscathed. He was beaten bad enough as it was. If he accepted and lost again, well… Dad wouldn't be too happy.

"I don't accept your challenge. I don't duel before school." Javas immediately put his head down and shoved out of the tight-knit huddle. Or tried to.

The boys shoved him back into the circle with more power than he had, but he never fell. The gang jeered as the leader, the challenger, cracked his knuckles, and whipped back his brown long hair and glared back at him with chestnut brown orbs. This guy meant business.

"Now, now. Javas. I know you've denied every challenge for the last six months now. You can't afford to back down against this one, what would dear old Dad say when he found you in bruises, lying out on the street?" The boy flexed his arms a bit, as if loosing up, before starting to circle Javas inside the huddle, his boots thudding on the tar, and his physical strength becoming apparent to him. At this predatory stance, Javas found every human thought disappeared from his head, and was replaced by the cold hard facts about him. Out numbered. Out muscled. Out Gamed. But he had the advantage even still. The Kaibas were known for their brilliance. It was time to pull something out of it.

Taking a closer look around, he was quiet and ignored the on going babble as he quickly pieced together his plan.

"Yes, you do have quite a point." He agreed, staring at the leader with blank eyes, until finally the businessmen's bus arrived. Then at that moment he swung his leg up in his groin, and watched him fold like origami. Before the members knew what was even happening, Javas leap-frogged over him and sprinted as fast as he could. The momentary agility and strength surprised him, but it wasn't enough to cease the worry as they chased him, through the crowd, and on to the back of the bus.

Javas clutched the seats on their side of him, taking a few deep breaths, and looking at them in his poised stance. He studied the hate in their eyes and the movement of their mouths. All sound was deaf to his ears, even the steady pounding and shouting of the bus driver. But the gasps of the passengers would have been astounding. With his elbow, he knocked the lever to the emergency door, and turned and leaped out right onto the hood of the convertible behind it.

He ignored the sudden blare of the horn and the turned up surprised faces as he skipped across onto the van of another car, then a blue van, then a green car, and so on. All he could hear the frantic beating of his own heart as he finally jumped off onto the open gab on the sidewalk, taking no notice of the started strangers as he started sprinting off again, hearing the freedom whistle of air hurtling past him. He could have cheered, jeered, or even hooted like all the other boys of his grade. A couple more blocks and then school would be insight, the place of safety until the police got the eye-witness reports and they came knocking at his house. He'd have to find a spare few minutes to hack into their system on his laptop and erase the files during school. Easy as pie.

But the sudden force suddenly tightening around his middle, shattered all joy, and a scream almost escaped his lips, but it went muffled under a strong hand on his lips. His eyes went wide in shock as a pair of budging arms dragged him off into a narrow alley. Frantically kicking and putting up as much of a struggle as he could he knew it was too late, they had got him, and this was the end of the brilliance chase. It all came back to haunt him, didn't it? He was never good at strategy games. Actually, he wasn't good at any games.

Javas stopped kicking as he was taken down the narrow alley-way, not bothering to turn and see who had captured him, just hanging there, two inches of the ground, watching the garbage bags come and go like buildings outside the window of a moving car. His eyes were blank for a while, defeat taking over his soul yet again. The feeling wasn't anything new. But the voice was.

"Not bad for a first attempt. Very rash, though. I would've jumped onto top of the bus and made a leap for the low roof of a building. But, if I were you, I would've just ran into the nearest store. Couldn't touch you in there, not with all the cameras watching."

A powerful urge to hit himself came over Javas. _What kind of moron _am _I?! _

"But, that is considerable, considering your bloodline…" His blue eyes turned frosty in an instant. He was taught to be proud of who he was. Kaibas were a very respected family, and he had never heard such a clear insult in his life, usually is was all covered. That usually pissed him off because he was smart enough to pick up on them it the point were they'd just be blunt about it. Now that it actually happened, he found he hated it.

"My father is not an idiot." He snarled viciously. He never felt so angry in his life. If his head had been clear, it would have scared him. The stranger busted out laughing, a very dark laugh. This only increased his rage.

"A Wheeler is a Wheeler."

"What the _hell_ is a Wheeler?" Javas spat. His whole body was shaking now. _What kind of insult name is a Wheeler? But more importantly, what did it _mean

Before he knew what was happening the world spun at lightning speed and his back hit the brick wall hard. Two deep dark eyes pierced through the cloud of anger and hit the core of his being. The cloud faded in a blink of an eye and was replaced by a tinge of fear. Those dark brown eyes, almost black due to the lighting, stared mercilessly into his icy shattered shield. He wasn't aware of the painful grip on both his shoulders, or worried about if the force could have smashed his laptop in his backpack, these things were swimming in the back of his head, just out of his reach. The only thing that could been seen was the shadowy knowledge of violence and pain dancing behind those glaring eyes, enough to make him feel on the edge of wetting himself. And in the next few moments he would have if the eyes had turned away and the strong hold released him.

His legs gave out under the weight of his body and Javas suddenly found himself sitting on the pavement, butt swore, but still shaken. He watched the owner of the eyes warily, but no longer unprepared. The kid was a bit short, Javas's chin was where the guy's nose level, but size didn't make him any less dangerous. The upper body strength said that he could practice some form of Karate, so did the fast reflexes. Yes, he was very fit compared to today's average kid. His hands were pale white, and creepishly spider-like, good for gripping and snatching things. His face was hidden behind a veil of white spiky hair, certainly wild. He wore a t-shirt, blue jeans, and regular white sneakers. Simple enough.

The boy turned his face toward Javas, making him flinch instinctively. He wasn't met with an ancient stare, but the mocking eyes of a teenage bully. Under the slight hazy agitation, it was easy to forget he was scared shitless a few moments ago.

"So, you're not a Wheeler?" He said in a devious chuckle, staring right into his eyes.

"No, I'm not." Javas agreed, still partly wondering what a Wheeler was.

"What's your name?" He started into those brown eyes a moment, noting their mocking was a veil. They whispered something on the lines of, 'if you lie, I'll know, and then I'll be all over your ass.' So he made the wise decision.

"Javas Kaiba." Javas had never seen so much shock in someone's eyes ever before. The kid was floored for a moment, before collapsing into a laughing fit so violent he lost his footing and hit the pavement with a loud thud.

A bit irritated, Javas let this slip. Probably because he was contemplating whether to run, beat the shit out of him, or figure out what the joke was. Before he could do anything, a pleasant but nervous voice broke his thoughts.

"T.R? What are you doing?!"

The kid stopped rolling immediately and got up off the ground so fast it made his eyes boggle, but that was soon dwarfed when he turned his head to who had spoken.

A short girl stood in the middle of the alleyway, but it was clear she was starting that marvelous part of life were she becomes a woman. The kind of stage when the boys in his class were noticing that the girls were very pleasurable to look at. And she wasn't an exception to that rule. She _was_ the rule. Javas spotted the beautifully curved shape of her body trying to hide under the bulky clothing (surprisingly the same thing that boy was wearing), and wandered up to her thick lips and her pale but pretty face framed by long white locks ( to the boy perhaps brother and sister, maybe?). The most alluring feature to her was her glitteringly deep hazel eyes. He delighted himself to exploring her looks with his icy cool stare as she started at the white haired boy.

"You didn't hurt him did you?" Her voice was melodious to his ears.

"No." the boy replied through clenched teeth. She started at him a moment with curious eyes before looking directly into his blue orbs. Javas felt his heart rate kick up a few notches.

"Are you alright?" For a moment, he couldn't use his vocal chords. He was lost in her hazel gaze. He had to swallow several times with her puzzled and worried stare before he could speak.

"Yes, I'm fine." His voice was smooth, silky, and he was surprised to find himself not stuttering. Something registered in her eyes, a flicker of light, and then her face went slightly pink as she quickly looked back to the boy (T.R?). Javas held back a smirk as he rose to his feet, looking at her face.

"I'm Javas Kaiba." He held out his hand as if to shake. Involuntarily she extended her hand. It is human instinct to take something that is so plainly being offered without thinking. Javas had proven this over and over again in his everyday life. He counted on that. He bent down and kissed her hand lightly, and gently let go, watching her face turn a very dark crimson and watched her swallow a few times. He took satisfaction in her obvious shyness.

"And you are?"

"Kaede R-Ryou." She stuttered nervously, and looked into the sky as if wanting a meteor to come crashing out of the sky to hit her. He frowned a bit at this reaction, but no matter. Nothing that was handed to you on a sliver platter was any prize, it was better to work for things.

"Kaede…pretty name…it suits you." She nervously smiled, but looked relieved when T.R suddenly broke up the introduction.

"Right. Look, we've no time for dinner-party talk. So, if you don't mind, I'd rather you never told anyone you ever saw us. Good-bye." Javas distastefully watched him take her hand and start further down the alley. He was finding it very easy to hate this kid.

Javas sped walked right in front of them and blocked their flight further down the alley.

"Excuse me, but I can help you." He told them, placing his hands in his pockets and giving T.R the icy business stare. T.R looked at him with deep contempt and ignored Kaede's anxious glances.

"How did you know we needed help?" he asked in a low acid-like tone.

"Easy. You've got to be pretty desperate to be grabbing kids off the street. And, I have a feeling someone is after you, for what reason is hazy, but it is enough for you to be taking alley ways. A pretty powerful force. Personally, I'd say the police, or an other gang. Am I not correct?"

"Sort of..." Kaede agreed. Javas smiled.

"Then I can help you by giving you a place to spend a few days at, free of charge. Free food, beds, TV, the works." Javas watched Kaede give her companion another nervous glance before drifting to her sneakers again. Yes, this may be a challenge.

"Free beer?" T.R asked.

"If you want it."

"What's the catch?" Javas looked into the cold black pits of T.R's eyes and once again felt a trickle of fear run up his spine. He quickly shook it off.

"Catch? No catch." Javas said calmly. T.R's eyes narrowed, implying a clearly suspicious look. A knot of fear tied comfortably under his stomach and the urge to throw up was suddenly very appealing. But when the boy's face bloomed with a large smirk his eyes twinkled and the feeling soon subsided. A sense of victory filled Javas and it was clear this was in the bag.

"Alright. Deal." Javas took T.R's out-stretched hand. His grip was like a bear-trap, crushing his hand, not hard enough to break it, but enough to make it painful. The Kaiba took the pain without even a twitch. Soon his aching hand was free again and sheltered behind his other hand.

"Oh, I almost forgot," T.R turned to the girl in such away that he looked like her brother for a moment. He turned her around and pointed sternly to the small shop about a block away, "Go there and see if you can find the quickest and most inconspicuous route you can to White Rock Avenue." Kaede gave him a curious look.

"Why do we need to get to White Rock Avenue?" She asked in a doubtful tone. Javas watched his face harden.

"White Rock Avenue is a street that is swarmed with people. In a crowd, it is harder to get to a certain person due to the large number of people just moving without causing a scene. Ever heard there is safety in numbers?"

"It's safe as long as they have nothing to lure us out with." Kaede retorted. The boy looked at her worried face a moment.

"That," he said now looking at his nails, "is already taken care of. Now go." She started out of the alley at the sneer of his last words with an agitated face, murmuring something Javas couldn't hear with the roar of traffic stuffing his ears. T.R stood placidly in his spot, watching her go far enough to a point when he rounded upon Javas like an enraged cat.

"You're over stepping your bounds, my friend." He said curtly, before stalking forward with nimble movements. Javas involuntarily backed away from him, finally remembering the fear he had felt earlier. From the deep spiteful look in his eyes, he could see that something had upset him. His eyes widened slightly as his lips peeled off brilliant white insanely fangs, that had not been there a moment before, framed by wild white bolts. It reminded Javas a bit like a street dog, how when their aggravated, their fur spikes and rises in all places, and they bear their teeth and growl. All the while he was still moving toward him, in a completely silent tread that Javas had once thought impossible to complete. He stopped approaching about four feet away, ignoring the quiver in Javas's frame as he hid his teeth again and casually brushed his hair back with his left hand a moment, like he had just remembered a pesky dentist appointment he was suppose to go to but missed today. He curled his fingers around where his belt would be, before digging into his pocket. Javas felt a cool sweat dampen his brow as he watched with an icy expression as the boy took his fist from his pocket and raised it to chest level.

It was fast! The movement in which he produced the blade from the small red handle made Javas flinch with shock, it swung out as fast as a switch blade. One of Javas's old friends had once had a pocket knife. After expecting it he had tried to swing it out in such a swift action like they would do in the American movies, but found it soon impossible after the first fifty tries. His friend had laughed. Javas remembered asking what had been funny.

"You are. You've barely handled the thing for ten minutes and you think you can pull any trick."

"It shouldn't be that hard…"

"Are you kidding me?" His friend had exclaimed, "My old man had one of those when he was a kid, couldn't get it to do that until he had it for at least a couple of years. It's not the blade that is the problem; it's the amount of muscle strength in a flick. You've got to know the movement of a slice by heart. Only the seriously dangerous guys are able to do that."

Watching him raise that knife high enough so that he could see the thoughtful look on T.R's face, he examined the curved piece of metal, made him pale to ghost color.

"Do you know," T.R asked in a calm smooth voice, "why I picked her from the lot?" He brushed his index finger along the flat edge of the knife with a loving caress as he spared a glance to Javas. Sometimes, it was better to say nothing to such questions. Silence could be the right answer. Silence is golden.

"If you thought it was looks, you should have seen her mother. Her sister makes her seem plain to the eye, to which, I contribute her shy nature… No, it wasn't that." He looked up with huge lifeless eyes at Javas.

"So, if you touch her in anyway that seems…ah, lets say it insinuates a certain _feeling,_ I will see it." He paused, as if letting the first part sink in through his assumed thick skull.

"I will also cut your hands off, as punishment. Are we clear?" Javas nodded. T.R flicked the knife back into its place with a graceful swish of his wrist and placed it into his pocket with speed. Javas just stared.

"I'm glad." He said and was about to turn away when he seemed to remember something.

"Oh, and if you ever mention this discussion, you will loose a lot more than your hands…" And to Javas's horror, he looked suggestively at his crotch before completely turning away and walking to the end of the alley, leaving him with his thoughts. Those thoughts were clearly disturbed.

Book Dragon: giggles "I was laughing my ass off after I wrote that part…please review!"


	11. Taking Action

Chapter 11: Taking Action

Kaede paced back up the street with a hunched form, hands deep in her pockets, and wondering why the hell White Rock Avenue, that is the biggest pain in the ass to find on a map, is her job to go looking for. She had seen T.R as the controlling type that felt she couldn't do any thing on her own and needed to have her hand held all the way. Of course, he never really had held her hand before, but that was a figure of speech. No, she knew from the start something suspicious and that she wouldn't approve of was going down.

The only reason she didn't object more was due to the fact that a) T.R would have a fit b) she really needed to be alone for a while, she felt crowded with him behind her back all the time. And finally c) Javas Kaiba officially scared the living shit out of her.

Yes, he was a rich business man sort of person, but he was what Christa and Aunt Marie would call one of the most handsome men ever, and for a couple of seconds, she had ridiculous feeling he was _hitting on her._ Her! Of all people!

She shook her head. No, it was a trick of the mind, subconsciously you _want_ him to like you, when in reality he just says those things to be polite. See? You're over reacting. It was easier to lie to herself than come to the truth that no, she didn't want him to like her that way, not even subconsciously, and not to be her sister in anyway at all. For her whole life, she had lived in the shadow of her sister's beauty, and it had shielded her from any sort of intimate emotions. Sometimes she hadn't enjoyed the comfort of not having important dates and just being a kid no one ever saw, someone that was never mentioned in gossip for any reason good or bad. She didn't exist. She had been a bit jealous as Christa had grown older and soaked up all the light, but as it went along it became normal, and most of the jealous feelings left.

Now all her jealous feelings were obliterated. Some sort of pressure was starting to fall over her head just from the fact that he was looking at her. She had seen a feeling up looking before, but god! This sort of look felt like she was being undressed publicly. It made her feel so _dirty_. How did Christa put up with such things?

T.R greeted her with a warm smile that said 'oh, your back!', making her slow down fast. Blinking a few times she looked at his smile bewildered and glanced at Javas to find him completely white and sweating, when it was about forty-five degrees out. She looked back to T.R, who eyes screamed at her 'Don't ask.' Well, maybe she didn't want to know what was going on anyway…

The time passed slowly, following after a kid many millennia older and wiser than any known person alive. To her at least. Kaede walked close behind him, looking at the miles of concrete stretching far into the sky, piercing it like a knife to a living all-seeing huge blue eye. It must have been around early afternoon, for the sun was a huge golden orb sitting like a king in the middle of that eye. Sitting like a god.

It was silly now that she suddenly realized her mind was bursting with questions, much like popping corn in the microwave, which of course as a strongly curious mind, it yearned for the answers. Especially now that a something of a walking time capsule was under her own command. She opened her mouth to begin her questions when T.R's voice broke in first.

"Power is never something to be miss-used, you know," he said carefully, not bothering to look back, "And most wise men boost about how power always corrupts in the weakest of souls…" He glanced back with a knowing glance, a certain flicker in his eyes that made her skin crawl.

"Don't take the first misstep on the long road…" He finished calmly, killing all desire to pry him open for information at the sudden feeling of guilt washing over her. So she contented herself with staring at the sidewalk and the back of his feet, ignoring Javas's bewildered look as he strolled next to her, knowing enough not to even ask. She silently thanked him for that, and noticed a slight pause in T.R's pace. For a few more blocks the same uncomfortable silence lulled between them, besides the mutter of passing strangers, the hum of passing and smoke producing vehicles, and of course the low drone of the trees speaking to themselves and shouting to each other. Kaede listened intently to the hum like an eavesdropper would, casually tilting an ear in their general direction and, as usual, not actually hearing human words, but getting the idea of what was being said. She smiled at the jolliness of the communication, something silly about entrapped cats the other day, and the wonderful story telling from the oak was greatly humorous, even to make her break out into a small pleasant grin. Of course, it was only there for a few seconds until she saw Javas staring at her. Then it shattered and was replaced by a mellow expression as the sky suddenly seemed very interesting.

Javas looked impatiently at his digital watch and back to T.R with a groan.

"We're wasting time!" He complained. He hadn't had a chance to change his record in the police's files yet. If he waited too long a dozen or so people would have glanced at it and soon it would take more than just to hack in and change some words. He couldn't afford anything like that.

"Can't we just take a taxi?" He watched T.R turn and give him an agitated look but was as silent as the grave. Javas glancing at his watch again increasingly fumingly and kept his growing anger in check. Kaede was present, after all.

She glanced at him nervously and held in a sigh.

"Can we get a taxi?" She asked in a tired voice. There was a brief silence.

"We could." He muttered. Javas raised both eyebrows. Kaede found that look as unnerving, like he was collecting data or something. Then again, everything about him was unnerving, why should that be different?

"What would you think about it, T.R?" she queried persistently. He jerked to a stop next to a shabby coffee shop, next to one of the many iron black painted tables, and turned to them with his brain working fiercely behind his calm eyes.

"Considering our problem, I think a taxi would be dangerous. I know him. He's not stupid, unfortunately. He'd probably get the cabin men under his control instantly if he figured out what taxi we were in and bang, we'd be in his grasp. Staying with a crowd would be best. That and I'm sure no one has any money to actually pay affair anyway."

"Um, excuse me, but who is _he?_" Kaede and T.R looked at each other.

"Umm…"

"No one that would concern you, that is _if _you play the game right." T.R retorted as he took a look around at the street signs. Kaede caught the flicker of unsettlement in Javas's icy cool stare and wondered again what had been said in her absence only three hours ago. They had something edgy between them; their personalities just didn't work well together. She also wondered what that was. Whatever it was, it had enough of an affect to get icy stares and spitting remarks. She continued to try to be patient with the two of them, but she wasn't sure how long she could hold her temper. And to think, it had only been a few hours!

The sound of slightly kicked up breathing shook her from her daze of thought into reality. She turned to the source of the noise, puzzled, and almost jumped at Javas's expression. He had turned an albino white, completely lacking any peachy pink it had held only moments before, his eyes were looking straight forward and wide with the look of a deer watching the approaching headlights on a pickup truck. Sweet lightly peppered his brow and his mouth was twisted as if he were in extreme shock. Instinctively, she turned to T.R and saw a completely different look embracing his face.

His eyes were sharp and filled to the brim with enormous rage and were in the same northward direction as Javas's. His face was as white as usual, and his hands were unfolded. His breathing was as a placid wave, and his mouth was curved into a devious grin. That smile was just plain disturbing.

"I was wondering when he'd call for his help…"he whispered in a cool tone, masking the rage behind a thick veil of bored ness. It didn't trick her for a moment.

She turned to the direction in which they were staring and saw only a large crowd standing in front of a book store past the intersection lights, sitting snuggly adjacent to an apartment building hogging the end corner of that block. If they were loud or not, one couldn't tell, the traffic noise was horrific at this time of day, it being rush hour, but they seemed to be happy, and you could see expressions because the coffee shop they were at was also hogging the end corner of their block, and it seemed like a sort of pleasant thing to look at. Being a booklover, she was bewildered by their expressions. What in the name of hell could have-?

She froze. In the middle of the crowd a familiar colors of purple, black, and blonde was looming about head height in giant spikes of hair a couple of inches taller than normal. She recognized Mr. Mutou in his blue office shirt and jeans and was relieved to find he had his back to them. But what if he had seen them before? He was a threat, he'd take her back home and those capped guys would have them where they'd want them. She'd rather let them get her than let anything that pointless happen. But something was amiss. How did T.R and Javas _know _Mr. Mutou in the first place?

She opened her mouth to ask that question when her father's friend turned and looked up at the traffic lights, turning his face into their direction and letting her see that a change had fallen over the kindly shopkeeper. It took the breath from her.

From the front, you could see now that he had a hand placed comfortably in his pocket and the other holding the Egyptian object around his neck. His face was younger; not forties but more on the lines of early thirties, his face a void of the usual casual comfort, but his eyes were the shocker. His eyes were still purple, but it held none of the cheerful carefree gaze. It was cold, darker look, one that matched T.R's. Those eyes reflected a merciless side. They spoke of a truly cunning and wise being behind his face. The situation just went from the 'be careful' stage on the meter to the 'run like hell stage'. Act with extreme caution.

Could this be a brother of his? Kaede shook her head silently, mouthing the words 'no' he didn't have any twins, Dad would have mentioned that, no, this was completely different. She blinked and glanced at T.R again, for a moment, and turned back with a short gasp.

Suddenly those shadowy purple orbs were on her, and were widening slowly. They had been spotted. Kaede felt her blood turn to ice under his heavy judging gaze and noted his foot rise and fall as he started to come closer, the puzzle on his neck swinging, a smirk spreading onto his face.

"Shit!" Javas breathed in a slight squeak. T.R responded much better. He grabbed her wrist and jerked her so fiercely she had to grab Javas's shoulder and awake him from his statue-like state to stay vertical as the ancient tomb robber used his god-like speed and took flight. Kaede had enough time to watch the smirk on the once been Mr. Mutou vanish and be replaced by an angry face before high speeding sidewalk and walls of people came into dizzying view.

"Run like you've never run before!" T.R yelled to them before he added a notch on his speed. Kaede dug her nails deeper into Javas's shirt and pulled roughly, as she was jerked forward by the grip on her arm. She would've thought they were flying instead of running if not for the horrible ache in her legs that had began at the end of the block, as they whipped around the corner and around a startled crowd of passer-bys. But she didn't dare slow. The blood pumping in her ears was deafening, but she still heard the steady footfalls behind them. The sudden deep shout to halt only made her legs pump faster. She could tell it was coming from the once been Mr. Mutou.

They ran like unspeakable horrors where after them. Kaede was sure of this in a befuddled why, from the dazed way her mind was working. She could clearly hear the loud chiming of the ring under her shirt sounding like a fire alarm, somehow louder than her gasps for breath and the frantic beating of her heart. Perhaps her running wasn't causing the ring to sound but the sure pounds from her heart, so strong they were, were actually vibrating through her chest? She let go of Javas to steady the ring on her chest and to feel her heart. Her chest burned like a thousand forest fires. She cursed herself for not trying harder in gym. The rhythmic beat of ring, heart, breath, and feet stomps were a tune she knew all too well. The classic minuet of the terrified rabbit sprinting for life it's self, as the deviously hungry fox chased after, nipping at its heels in such a mocking dominance. She hated it. She loathed it with such a passion it flared worse than the physical discomfort of just springing down these past blocks. She wanted to turn and confront him, scream a list of filthy words, to actually kick him, but the fear ran too deep, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold herself against him. But she couldn't run anymore. And so her leg cramped in mid step, and she saw surprised and pissed off city folk no more, but the on coming sidewalk as she fell.

The painful cement never hit her face, but a painful grip around her middle made her cry out as she was hefted up above. She looked incredulously as she heard T.R swear something very filthy and placed her onto his shoulder like you'd find a pirate do in a hurry with treasure. It hurt her, but if someone else had done it she knew it would have hurt a lot more. She was speechless that he had even pulled it off. Or maybe that he even bothered. As if he knew she was thinking this he puffed into her ear through a pained voice.

"Con-tract." And everything made sense again. Still, she noted that it was going to be their doom anyway. T.R started to slow considerably, enough to be running side-by-side with Javas, who had been lacking, and was almost at the once been Mr. Mutou's grasp. Something had to be done. In the few precious minute it took her to recapture her breath she whispered between them.

"Can you make it to the next alley way? I've got an idea." Without a response they charged forward to the end of the block, adding an extra burst when his finger tips were mere inches away from their backs, until finally an alley way was in sight. For the last couple of feet, both boys gasped and ran on weak legs around the corner and somehow T.R must have had an idea of what she had been thinking because he skidded to a halt and whipped her off his shoulder. Kaede saw Javas fall to the pavement as she saw the weeds growing between the pavement and brick wall, just as she'd hoped. She feel to her kneed and whispered feverishly in English, watching the once been Mr. Mutou turn the corner and turn more wide-eyed with surprise at them waiting for him.

He didn't even have a chance to stop. The weeds jumped up so viciously Kaede was thrown back a couple of feet, left stunned as the pants constricted around the once been shopkeeper. The steams turned to thick ropes and tied around his wrists and ankles as well as his torso. Not around the puzzle. It blazed like hot iron and scorched any of the leafage to even brush against it. Still, the puzzle had only been a set back. After about thirty seconds of a struggle he stopped struggling and let himself hang there, about five feet off the ground, with his feet bound together tightly. An equally strong bond was also placed around his wrists, and his hands were placed over his head.

From the ground Kaede whispered again to the plants and soon to both the captured man, the frightened boy, and the ancient tomb robber's surprise, the thing that had once been a weed, uprooted and grew something like legs with its roots. Much like a spider, it had eight legs that scampered between the jaw-dropped T.R and Javas's scared face, toward Kaede. She struggled to stand as it approached, and slowly, with aching legs, she led it down further into the alley where no one could see it by just glancing it. She told it to go behind the building and stopped to make sure both of the boys were okay. Of course, that was a stupid thing to wonder.

"What the hell was that?!" He asked her in a startled voice.

"Only one of the most magnificent powers of this earth being used. Be lucky, boy, that you even got to see it." T.R told him, much to Kaede's worry. She looked back at Javas's red hot face.

"Er, it's something I sort of got when I was growing up…let me explain later, okay?" Javas blinked his blue eyes at her and quiet plain said.

"This day can't get anymore strange." That comment made her smile, even though she was still in a bit of shock. She hadn't even been sure of what she was doing when she started talking to the weeds in the first place. She didn't know she could even _do that_. And to find you could was more than shocking. Shaking she turned and put an arm to the brick, feeling very exhausted, as she patted the ring on her chest. She closed her eyes for a moment and felt the urge to sleep very strong in her mind, but she ignore it, and peeled open her tired eyes and noted T.R standing at her side, looking at her hand placed on her chest. Gripped around the ring.

She was slightly surprised to find it on top of her shirt, gleaming brilliantly, the eye staring calmly up at her. Somehow she felt less stressed, less secretive, lighter than usual. She really felt if she jumped she could fly if she so desired, as silly as that sounded it still remained there, deep in her heart. She looked at T.R and saw the smile planted clearly on his face before he turned it into a scowl and turned away.

And she found, not to her surprise, her surprise had been used up, that maybe she could free him after all this was over.

Book Dragon: "Please review!"


	12. Imposter

Chapter 12: Imposter

A dark shadow loomed over his work desk, making him freeze and start at it, knowing who it was. A hand pressed down onto his shoulder and breath tickled his ear as the message was spoken. Slowly his eyes widened in anger but the wave of worry drowned that, and he was upon his feet before the spiky-headed shadow disappeared from his mind and opened his office door to find two policemen, one with his hand raised to knock, but both stunned. It took them a moment to regain their composure.

"Mr. Kaiba-"

"Where is my son?"

Kaede started up at what had been her father's friend, wading through a thousand endless thoughts, all whispering to her in wondering voices. Suppose he was always like this? Maybe he is possessed by some sort of evil spirit? Maybe an alien took out all his insides and used his skin like a suit? The more and more she listened, the more and more they shifted into the bizarre. Surely the truth couldn't be that crazy.

She waited tensely with Javas, looking a bit whiter but obviously trying to be braver, and T.R on her left, as cool as icy and fiddling with something in his pockets. She was a bit more at ease with both of them with her. She knew if she had been alone she would have been the vulnerable one. It seemed that with the two of them, she felt he couldn't trick them. Well, not as easily anyway.

Hanging about five feet from the ground, the man at least had the wall to lean on now, due to the fact the weeds were now growing like some sort of vine type plant. She was pleased to see the foliage wasn't crushing him, but had a tight enough grip on him. He shifted his hands around before looking down at them with his unusually dark eyes. He remained silent.

Nervously she rubbed her right arm with her left hand, glancing between T.R and Javas. They both remained silent and didn't look back. No saves here. Sighing she looked back up and tried to speak bravely.

"Who are you?" It came out nothing like she wanted. He stirred again, shifting his arms again and shaking his head a bit, as if he'd been a sleep too long.

"You know me. I'm Mr. Mutou." He said in the same dark voice. She felt incredibly silly, and almost stupid. It didn't stop her.

"No you're not. You may _look _like Mr. Mutou, actually I could see how you could be his twin, but you don't act like him. Er…I guess you could say, you don't have his nature." She was scratching the back of her head anxiously and was avoiding Javas's looks.

"What are you talking about? This _is_ Yugi Mutou." Javas said. Kaede shook her head.

"This isn't Mr. Mutou _I_ know. His eyes weren't so dark. He was a happy sort of guy." Javas started at her like she was crazy.

"What the hell are you talking about?! Yugi Mutou was the strongest and most dangerous duelist in his time! He dueled in this character, how can you say he wasn't dark?" Kaede looked at into his blue eyes and saw that it was the truth. He believed in every single word. That was frightening.

"…Who told you this?" They both looked up. T.R started to laugh. All eyes averted to his soft chuckling with, the confusion still building.

"Looks like your work is ahead of you, Pharaoh." T.R smirked as the imposter's purple eyes narrowed and tried in vain to shift the bonds on his wrists to a comfortable position. Kaede looked from him to the bond man with a mystified gaze.

"I'm aware." He said in a careful tone of voice.

"Where did you hear about me?" From eye contract, it was Javas's turn to take the floor. Javas looked into his steady gaze, pulling at the neck of his shirt a bit, like it had gotten too hot in the frosty wind blowing about them.

"I…" He stared into the blinking stare.

"Alright," he replied in an annoyed voice, glaring up at him coldly, "my father told me." The man's face twisted into an expression to match her confusion, but go beyond it with a clear vision of disbelief.

"…your father?"

"Yeah." Javas agreed impatiently. The man shook his head.

"No…no. He wouldn't. He was our friend…Joey wouldn't do that." His dark violet gaze searched the ground as rapid thoughts passed. She could tell; her father had often looked like that. She turned to Javas wonderingly, but by the look of his face, the confusion was contagious.

"Who's Joey?!" He asked in an outburst. The man's brow furrowed.

"…Do you have the name Wheeler?"

"WHAT IS A WHEELER?!" he snarled.

"Wheeler is a last name… you're father's name isn't Joe or Joey?"

"NO!"

"Hmm…then who was your father?" Javas's face paled considerably and his eyes lost a lot of their annoyed frostiness. Kaede, after a long pin-pong movement from between them, finally rested her eyes on him and saw T.R still grinning evilly in the corner of her eye, like it was burned in the corner of her head. She shook this off. Javas sighed.

"…my father is Seto Kaiba," he said carefully, and then added in a side note, "yes, the owner of the company." Seems he gets that question a lot.

The man showed no sign of reaction. He didn't twitch, didn't glare, didn't even blink. He took the information in as calmly as being told where the bathroom was. He didn't even move, well, except moving his wrists. Kaede was wondering if she had made the bonds a little too tight there. Mr. Mutou's puzzle swung slightly, making the plants constrict into his torso a little more. The man glanced at it with an expression she couldn't make out and looked seriously back at Javas.

"…you have his eyes." The man replied. Javas just started at him in disbelief. Kaede could see that he was probably wondering what the hell this guy was thinking. For what reason Kaede hadn't a clue, besides, she wasn't even sure what he meant by dueling. They didn't do fencing, did they?

T.R moved slightly, making her look at him for a moment. A glimmer of humor was peppered in his eyes before they turned away down to the ground. She wondered what was funny. She was wondering a lot of things today.

The man coughed, and brought their attention back.

"Could you either let me out of these binds or please continue with this interrogation?" He gritted his teeth as he spoke, altering his wrists in the bonds. Kaede flinched at the look on his face. Looks like she was right to be worried. She looked at the stems.

"Excuse me." The vine like greenery twitched to her voice, responding to her.

"Could I propose you to bring his hands down and loosen your grip? The sun is more to the left you know…" the plants jerked to live, bringing his bonded hands to his chest. The Man relaxed his face.

"Thanks…that's all you do, just tell it to do things?"

"Well…I don't _tell_ it to do things, I make suggestions. I've found things don't like to be told what to do. That and it's better to be polite…I guess." She started to scratch the back of her head again, understanding that Javas was off the stage, so to speak.

She wasn't scared. She was actually more weary than frightened. Probably since he didn't react in the ways she had feared as she had gotten older and saw how cruel the world could be. He didn't run away from her, or immediately try to take advantage of her. Then again, she had to remember that it was still early, and the thought dishearten her.

She glanced at T.R, taking in his placid look, but feeling very different about how he was feeling. His eyes were burning with such heat she was a little concerned that this man may burst into flames. She watched and waited, not listening to anything, not even the mutter of the weeds as she unconsciously did. It felt like her eyes bore into him and they could see inside his head. Or maybe it was more like a phantom touch or something. For a moment, she had the craziest thought. _I can see his mind_

"So you've been given the ring." Kaede flinched.

"What?" The man looked at her with the sternest face she had ever seen. It made her want to put everything down and tell him everything, like it had been Aunty Marie demanding to know what happened to her favorite hat. You didn't contradict this sort of face.

"Yes."

"Don't even start." T.R suddenly growled fiercely next to her. His teeth were tight together, and seemed to look more fang-like when he was mad. Javas realized quickly by the way he took a small step back. The look on his face would've made Kaede laugh if T.R wasn't so angry. She could feel it, like a hot coal bubbling up somewhere inside her chest. It was so fast she grabbed at her shirt in surprise. The man stared at her with a grim expression.

"That was all the answer I need." He said gloomily, looking at the ring hanging around her neck.

"You feel his anger?"

"Shut up." He retorted viciously. Kaede looked from the two of them puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't say a word, Pharaoh. I'm warning you." The-once- Mr. Mutou looked at him with stormy purple orbs. The puzzle suddenly looked brighter.

"She has a right to know." He said in his dark voice, "And I can't let you take advantage of her." T.R glowered up at him with such hatred that Kaede could feel it, like a thick fog, muffling anything around them. He was seeing red, a deep dark blood-color crimson, in his sight. She didn't know how she knew this. It was just there, floating in the top of her senses, unable to ignore, calling so forcefully you had to feel it. Bubbling hotter than any liquefied metal. Burning more heatedly than the magma coursing through the planet. Such heat.

"If you tell her a word of it," T.R said slowly, trying to control himself, "I will kill you and your aibou." He meant it. He'd kill. He'd kill without a guilty thought. It was there, surging so strongly underneath his skin that it was terrifying. The memory of how he saved her by breaking that girl's arm flew in so clearly it felt like it happened seconds ago. Spinning her around and twisting her pale arm the wrong way. The loud horrible_ crack_ that sounded. A shriek so loud it sliced air like a knife and wanted to make your ear drums bleed. All with the coolest and sadist face.

She wanted to faint. If she could have made herself, she would have without a second thought. But she was stuck in the present, starting at him with eyes unable to get any wider, sweating so much to be soaked, with nothing but that strange and frightening heat she had never felt before in her life. Her knees where buckling, and the world was blank to her eyes. She felt trapped in the desert with a heavy jacket and snow boots that were stuck on her. Like she was tumbling head over heels into the sun. Then suddenly the world flickered images, like an unpredictable slide show.

_Bodies. Everywhere. Scattered. Half buried in the sand. Blood. Desert sand. So much death. Stench. Everywhere. Everyone is dead. He killed them. Soldiers. Blood on my hands. _HE KILLED THEM_. Make him pay. Sweat and blood. Killed everyone._

_ Except me…_

The heat lifted so suddenly it was a light switch turning off. A flick of thought the flames were dowsed and the world slammed right up into her face as the slide show stopped. Her blurred sight turned normal with a flick of the veil, exposing hard dark brown eyes, staring straight at her. Pressure was on her, a cooler warm on her arms, even though it did hurt a bit. Blinking out of the daze, she noticed he was closer than a few minutes ago. Way closer. She was shaking. She could feel his breath on the bridge of her nose as his eyes searched hers. Worried? She felt it in a tight knot, replacing the hatred a moment before. His arms where around her. Way closer than usual. Is that worry swimming in his eyes? Or is that annoyance?

Too close.

Kaede pushed him away from her and held herself for a second, taking a few deep breaths of cold air. Her eyes were closed and she was forcing herself not to shake, her fists tightly closed. She recovered slowly, listening to the leafy whispers, not knowing what just happened, whether it was a mental breakdown or…something she didn't want to consider at this point. She lifted her heavy lids and saw all three of her company where staring at her.

"I'm alright." She said as calmly as she could, and noticed she was now soaked from perspiration. Morbid pictures still danced on the edges of her mind, where they would remain until she either slept or even drink. She was hopping sleep would do it. She had a hand to her eyes, wanting to sleep now. God those pictures where horrible.

"I'm…tired." She said slowly, looking up from her hand at the man hanging above them, only for a second before looking at Javas's white face.

"Can we go to…where ever you're taking us for the night?" He started at her puzzled.

"What about…" A silence settled among them for a moment.

"We'll take him with us." T.R said flatly. Kaede could think of no other way either. Javas looked even more nervous from that, but he said nothing, just sort of jerked his head in what could have been a nod and shifted his backpack. It was agreed.

Book Dragon: "Please Review."


	13. Settling In

Chapter 13: Settling In

Kaede walked wearily next to Javas, who kept looking at her but saying nothing. The man, she hadn't decided what kind of nick name to use until she got his name, walked in front of them. She had suggested a vine to them and used that to tie around his hands before she turned the plants back to normal. T.R covered the binds with his hand, as if leading the older man around. He wasn't pleased about that. Still, the man didn't put up any kind of fight. He was as calm as ever, indifferent really, and didn't care how uncomfortable he was. She could have admired him for that had her feeling not been so confusing.

They walked for what seemed like ages on the inner part of the sidewalk, passing every so often a weed or tree that she'd mutter 'good afternoon' to in response to its greeting and ignore the hassle of the city people all together. They had decided not to get a cab, even though the stranger did have some money on him, due to the fact that the cabby could ask a bunch of questions, not that all cabbies do, it's just something none of them had to mind power (or will power) to even deal with right now. So they simply decided to walk.

After about three hours of walking Javas finally stopped in front of a small coffee shop like building. Everyone else sort of went on a couple of steps and nearly fell over when he said they had arrived. Kaede was pleased, her feet were throbbing fiercely and the urge to sleep was unbearable.

They walked up the concrete stoop and stopped at the black tinted glass tiredly. Javas walked up to the shabby looking mailbox and simply flipped it up to reveal a keypad, and made a motion for everyone to back away as he typed in the code. They obliged.

"This is a place my Dad uses to retire to when the heat was up." Javas told them casually. What heat he was talking about none of them cared. When the door opened everyone poured in.

The apartment was not a cheep grungy sort of place you'd expect to see collage kids reduced to. Actually, it was quite the opposite. It looked more like an emperor's suit than an apartment. The cream colored walls housed an assortment of fashionably comfortable looking couches and chairs, either a dark red, a dark blue, or a dark tan. A highly detailed coffee table stood in the middle of the room, loaded with bits and parts of computers, sprawled out, with screwdrivers and some screws. A large wide-screen television sat in the bottom right had counter with a DVD and a tape player as well as some other things that couldn't be made out. The book cases aside to the left of the three door ways were packed with reading material and expensive looking objects and photos of Javas as a toddler feeding the ducks to taking apart his first hard drive at eight. The windows were even housed in luxurious velvet blue curtains.

Javas removed his shoes and walked in and entered the door to the north, either ignorant to the staring the three of them were doing, or that he didn't care. T.R was the first to react. He yanked the tall man from the door hard with a scowl on his face and led him through the door to the West. Kaede stood there, gawking at how uncluttered everything was. Spending three months in a house that was never picked up made the room seem like it was run by neat freaks. She wasn't able to get over how dust free the pictures were.

After minutes of staring she watched T.R trot back into the room, looking very pleased with himself, dusting off his hands, and followed where Javas had gone. Kaede watched him suspiciously and waited a minute or two in puzzlement. She walked to the room he had just left, making her aching limps move, and ignoring the enticing call of sleep.

She glanced inside the room and found a small office-like room with one window and the same cream walls. It contained a desk covered in papers and pencils, a long green couch (you know, the kind that shrinks tell you to lay in and tell them all your problems), and a chair. The chair was occupied by their prisoner. His legs were bound tightly to the bottom leg of his chair as were his hands behind his back by what looked like vines. He was also gagged with a thick jungle like green trailing plant. He stared at her.

Kaede sighed and muttered under her breath. The gag was a bit much, after all, and it was tied far too tightly. She'd have to nag at T.R about this later when he was in a 'good mood'. Which would be never. She was sure he wasn't going to scream anyway. The gag slithered out of his mouth and joined the plant around his wrists.

"Thank you." He said in his newly dark voice. She said nothing as she turned away and went through the north door. Sometimes, silence was the best answer.

It was the kitchen. The floor pattern was a classic black and white tiles, and housed gray counters and a black refrigerator, a black microwave, a sink with a window over it, and a coffee pot. All the normal everyday things you'd find in a kitchen. Javas was searching the refrigerator for anything eatable, while T.R popped open the bottle of amber looking liquid. He took a swig of the stuff and smiled viciously, like a fox enjoying the first hen of the day, and took another greedy gulp. Kaede rolled her eyes.

She staggered to the coffee pot and poured some into a clean mug, trying to get the smell to at least make her feel more awake. It actually made her feel bitter. Her body was pissed that she wasn't going to just collapse on a couch immediately. It was better to been shown were she was sleeping in an unknown house hold, no matter how she felt. If Javas was smart, he'd show her the room she'd have soon, or she'd start snapping at people.

Javas pulled out an apple and nearly froze at the large steaming pot in her hand in mere shock. Kaede ignored him and started her usual ritual of sugaring the shit out of the drink before she started into the family room. T.R didn't blink an eye as he followed her, bottle close to his lips.

When everyone was finally settled, Kaede on the tan couch with a hot cup and sleepy eyes, nursing the drink, Javas sat closer than she would've liked, the man now sitting in the middle of the room after being dragged in with both T.R and Javas's efforts, and T.R sat on the other side, completely cool and collected, was when they started to talk.

"Alright. You are Yugi Mutou. Correct?"

"Yes and no."

"What the heck is that suppose to mean?!" Javas growled.

"What I said." Replied the man.

"How can you be Yugi Mutou and not be?" she asked him tiredly.

"When I've got another spirit dwelling inside me." Javas started at him a moment, just a moment, before he busted out laughing.

"That's ridiculous!" He barked, "You sound more like you should be in an insane asylum." Javas continued to laugh. Kaede looked at the man disappointedly, wondering whether or not Javas was right. That they were just dealing with some wacko who just looks a lot like Mister Mutou. But the fact that he had Mr. Mutou's prized Egyptian artifact was scaring her.

"Are you Mr. Mutou's brother he told me about?" She asked him, a little more awake.

"Kind of. That was actually a bit of a lie."

"Mr. Mutou lied."

"Not so much as _lied_. He kind of fibbed. He was covering for me. People ask questions sometimes when you see two people who look a lot a like walking around."

"I thought you just said you had two people inside of you." Javas retorted.

"We do. It's just that sometimes we can separate into two different beings." Javas raised an eyebrow.

"And how do you do that?" The man hesitated.

"…By magic."

"Uh-huh."

"And Yugi had to cover for me by calling me his brother."

"I see…I see you are completely insane. Kaede, we should call the police." Kaede started at the puzzle around his neck, thinking.

"…Are you two people right now?" she asked him slowly. The man was silent a moment.

"…We could be."

"Mr. Mutou is in there somewhere?"

"Yes." Kaede puzzled a few moments, looking at T.R's stern face and the cloud fogging the back of her skull. Javas snorted.

"I'll believe that when I see it. Prove it."

"I would if I could."

"What do you mean _could_? Why not if you can prove it?!"

"…Because I promised a friend something." He replied sadly, his dark purple eyes sliding to the floor morosely. Javas's face twisted as he snorted in annoyance.

"We should call the police." He said in disgust.

"You can't." T.R said tightly, rising off the couch nimbly. Javas narrowed his eyes angrily.

"And why not?"

"First of all, after that stunt you pulled with the buses and the boys you were running from come, they probably will take you in and dear old dad wouldn't be too happy with that. And you wouldn't be able to help us, as you said you would." The boy said curtly. Javas gritted his teeth irritably. He was right, and that would ruin the time he had.

"Fine." He snarled. T.R grinned at his frustration.

"Maybe we should all just go to bed and sleep on it." Kaede said, planning more to break up the future argument, although sleeping would be a nice bonus. It turned Javas's whole mood around.

"Oh! You're right of course. I forgot to show you to your room." He got up and finally took a bite out of the apple he had been handling as he offered his other for hers. She got up without his help, making him frown a bit, and walked off toward the west doorway, containing something that looked a lot like a hotel bed room. A giant queen size bed, a large closet, and a redwood chest at the foot of the bed were in the room. A walk in bathroom also came with her room. A blue robe hanging on a hook next to the door with a pair of slippers completed everything.

Javas watched as she admired the cream curtains and smiled as she examined the large white velvet sheets.

"I hope this is satisfactory." He said.

"Very." She said nervously chewing her lip. Something about this was a bit too odd. She was relieved when T.R finally stepped into the room, looking it over placidly, putting a hand on the bed, and looking inside the bathroom.

"Hm. Not bad for mortals. The Pharaoh's chamber was always far more glorious than this, but those hotel managers have been stretching the truth for centuries. I hope my room is just as good…" Kaede frowned at his rudeness, but said nothing. She gave him a look instead.

"Er. We may have a problem with rooming." Javas said.

"What problem?" T.R asked coldly.

"Well, remember how I said that this was only a place my Dad used when the heat was on?"

"Yes."

"Well, there's only two bedrooms…of course you can have my room if you like…I don't mind bunking with-"

"No, no. I'll simply sleep on the couch outside, Javas. No need to share a room." T.R replied.

"No, I'm the host. I take care of my guests. It's quite alright."

"I really don't mind." Javas said smiling.

"No, if you really do mind I'll share a room with her. It wouldn't be the first time." T.R said courteously. Javas blinked a moment, before what he just said sunk in, and his face suddenly turned a dark shade of purple.

"Um. How about this. I'll take the couch and you guys can each take a bed room." Kaede reasoned carefully. For the first time in her life she was actually starting to care where she slept. Both sides of this argument were troubling her. She had a vague memory of her sister acting very funny once when a boy had invited her over for a party and then sleepover once. She was very pleased about it, and starting getting all dressed up for it and being very happy, yapping something about boys. Aunt Marie latterly blew the roof when she found out the night before and forbid her to stay the night. Chirsta had a fit. It was later that Aunt Marie explained about the birds and the bees. Kaede felt a bit sick after it.

Now with the thought of either of them in her room was making her feel ill, even though she knew they probably wouldn't attempt anything like that. It was just the fact that they were male and she was female and they'd be in the same room with a bed and there was always that what if…

Both boys protested at her when she brought this up.

"No, no! That wouldn't be proper at all! Not for a lady." Javas replied hastily.

"Yes." T.R agreed.

"Completely improper as a host."

"Yup. I'll just share a room with Javas." T.R replied.

"Completely-What did you just say?" T.R covered a sly look with an uninterested one as he looked at his nails.

"Well, it is simple isn't it? As host you have to take care of your guests. And since you don't want her without a room, or me, and I can't possibly sleep well if you're stranded to a lumpy couch. And I'm also sure she wouldn't feel comfortable with company in her room than that leads to one alternative. That you and I will share a room. Understand?" Javas started at him a moment. Opened his mouth, and then shut his mouth again. For a while he reminded her of a goldfish in that state of shock. She wondered if he'd ever stop when he finally he regained his composure.

"…Yes. Yes of course." He agreed.

"Good. You can help me get situated." T.R smiled at her and walked out of the room, not before giving Javas a meaningful look, and was followed out by him, looking awfully pale.

"Goodnight." Javas said in a troubled tone before he shut the door behind him, leaving Kaede alone with a pained look on her and the thoughts buzzing in her mind. Well, really only one chilling question in her realm that stuck out in her realm of weariness. Was being alone in her room really necessary compared to finding one of them dead the next morning?

Book Dragon: "Please Review."


	14. Mind Over Body?

Book Dragon:blinks "This is awkward. Or at least I feel that way…er, stupid emotions. Thank you for the reviews, I appreciate them."

Chapter 14: Mind over Body?

Fully submerged in a steaming bath filled to the brim with a cover of white foamy suds, with the tub curtain pulled, with the door locked firmly, a chair probed up under the knob, Kaede finally let herself relax. She couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in the room. Why, she wasn't sure, but she had a sneaking feeling that Javas would 'happen' upon her while she was bathing or something just as stupid. Say, she'd go out into her room for a change of clothes and he'd be there smiling at her on the bed. Something that irrational and dense would come creeping into her head. Hell, this was bothering her so much that she could swear she could hear movement from the bedroom.

After an hour soak she washed up and climbed out of the tub carefully and took the robe off the doorknob. She ignored the mirror as she shoved her arm in one sleeve and covered herself as fast as she could. She had found whenever she looked at herself, actually studied her features, she found herself lacking in everyway. She was a lanky, pale skinned teen with no shape, a witch's broom bleached of all color for hair, and two mud-splat stained eyes. She did eye the Ring nervously as she dressed. Despite the locks and the suds, she still felt like she was being watched, and wished nothing more to throttle it. Tying the band on the white robe did the trick. She picked up the brush and busily yanked and tore at the snarls in her hair while staring herself in the face, wondering why she was so paranoid as she smoothed out the mess on her head and put the ring on around her neck with a jingle. When she removed the chair, and opened the door she figured out why.

The white haired teen stared for a few blank moments, blinked brown orbs, and looked jadedly at his fingernails. Kaede felt a tense knot tie under her stomach, an ache that felt far stranger than anything she had ever felt, and curled her toes in the blue carpet and just started at him and felt her hands form fists a couple of times. After a few escaped moments that she had let him explain why he was in here, she found he wasn't going to talk. She twiddled her fingers a moment and shifted her jaw.

"What are you doing in here?" He looked up from his nails.

"I wanted to be clean, _if_ you had to know." He replied. T.R rose from off of the bed headed to the door.

"What's wrong with the other one?"

"Javas is using it."

"Ah…and what do you suppose I do like this?" she asked him. He froze and the blank look flashed on his face a moment.

"…You can finish."

"Thank you." She opened the trunk at the end of her bed, searched a couple of moments for a pair of pants and shirt pajamas, but where only finding silk night shirts and…underwear. She ignored his blank stare over her shoulder and closed her eyes angrily. This was _ridiculous_. Completely and utterly unworldly. Why in the hell-

She opened her eyes in a flash; eyes wide in fright. She hurriedly stepped away from the chest, like it had changed into a dangerous animal and bit her lip.

Javas had said his father had come to retire here when things were hot. For him? The room was clearly meant for a woman… perhaps Mr. and Mrs. Kaiba retired here together? If this were true than that meant these were her…things. Which also meant that…

Her face turned very waxy as her stomach soured.

She turned to T.R worriedly. His down-cast eyes quickly looked up into her face and blinked once, shaking off the blank look quickly with an irritated one.

"What?"

"…nothing. Just nothing." She muttered, and brightened quickly. "I'm alright." She was past worrying and gingerly took out the first silk shirt and panties she could find, trying not to think what kind of acts could have been committed. But if _anything_ like that occurred it _would_ come off…right? She tried to shove that thought away. She debated the closet. After a few moments she shook her head, it was a no go. She had checked it earlier and found only things like evening gowns, stuff she'd never get to sleep in. Not that this course was any better. She walked into the bathroom, holding the garments out in front of her, listening to T.R's muffled chuckling as she disappeared into the bathroom. She had considered changing into her old underwear, but that wasn't going to happen. For one, wearing the same thing for two days was sick. And two her own clothes were outside. These were at least clean. She wondered what force in the universe wanted to see her squirm for the past two days and cursed it with everything she had.

T.R paced the room with large strides, biting his lip hard enough to make it bleed, only moments after she had shut the door. He should leave the room. That was what the very last of his rational chords were saying. The rest of him…he wasn't sure what had happened in that two minute encounter. He brushed down his hair roughly and eyed the door knob for the fifth time in twenty seconds, trying to make up his mind. He had been sure, after about 4,000 years of 'imprisonment' that he could handle this sort of situation with anyone. He was now raging at himself. Just one look at her in a bathrobe unwinds him. Part of him, the calculating devious nature, was saying in a calm voice to leave the room now, before everything was ruined. The other piece, however…

The doorknob turned. In the two seconds it took for the door to open, the spirit stopped pacing, was standing in front of the door out into the hall, and forced his passive mask into use.

Kaede shut the door. She felt nervous, a gurgling anxious uneasy feeling in her gut. Not because of T.R's presence. She had figured out quickly from the rapid thoughts that his nature didn't suggest any interest, or from her basic knowledge of every single meeting she remembered her sister talking about the third she had been present for, some of which would've been nice to burn out of her mind. He wasn't overly nice, he wasn't giving gifts, he never tried to touch her, no attempt to kiss, or hug, or snuggle, or cuddle, or to even be near her. Actually, she was pretty sure he hated her with all his mind and heart and thought her to be nothing at all. She had no problem walking over to her clothes dressed as she was, picked them up, and headed toward him at the door. She was sick with worry that Javas would come across her. _He_ had already been generous and was being overly nice. He was something to be worried about.

She found it surprising, how a little uneasiness can start your mind working in millions of different paths, making thousands of theories and solving them. The answer to avoiding any bad situations in the next couple of days was to make sure she was never in the same room alone with Javas. Simple.

The reason she was uncomfortable right now was the fact that she had to get her clothes wasted immediately. Get them wasted tonight, she could wear them tomorrow and not have to wear any revealing dresses. That meant of course, she'd have to walk out now, in this equally revealing night shirt with no pants on, for about five minutes, so she could be somewhat comfortable tomorrow. It was that, or be jumpy in a tight fitting black silk with a low cut neck and exposing a lot more leg than she'd like for a couple of hours waiting for the clothes to wash and dry. In those five minutes Javas would have less of a chance of seeing her than three hours tomorrow. Also simple.

"Where are you going?" T.R asked her in an irritated voice, a vague look covering his face.

"To find the washing machine and clean my clothes…why?"

"…Little reason." He muttered, the look deepening. Kaede puzzled about it. In thirteen years of watching television and watching the whole world around her, she had never before seen such a look. She had seen something similar, but not the same. He was wearing an expression very close to the turban man painting hanging in her living room, but there was a key difference. His eyes weren't vague at all. His eyes looked twisted with a miscellaneous of emotions; so many that you couldn't tell what was being felt. All negative emotions swimming in shady brown orbs. Hate, pain, rage, sorrow, frustration… they flashed darkly. Actually, you could say his eyes were the opposite of the painting.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked carefully, the apprehension growing larger in her gut.

T.R blinked his eyes, washing out the other emotions except anger and let out all the air in his lungs. She could see his mouth twitching and waited for him to answer. His face slowly turned a deep red and started to shake. Apprehension turned aghast as red slowly changed to blue and she wondered why he wasn't breathing. When she started to consider running and locking herself in the bathroom he did something she wouldn't forget for a long time.

He took a huge breath, opened his mouth, and before he could even utter a word his fist had been shoved into his mouth. Kaede widened her eyes in shock as he grabbed her dirty clothes and violently threw the door open. He made a lot of noises that could have been words if his tongue wasn't blocked and ran out slamming the door shut, leaving Kaede wide-eyed and baffled. Well, at least she didn't have to worry about her clothing...

T.R snarled angrily as he emerged from the bathroom, hair straggled and tamed due to the extra weight of water, clothed in a large black cotton robe. It didn't actually come out as snarl, really an angry gurgle, since his fist was still jammed in his mouth. He had waited behind the safety of a closed and locked door away from her for about four hours in the bathroom, until it was dark enough for the two to sleep so he could move about without any question. He couldn't force the horrible taste out of his mouth. When his eyes started watering and the metallic taste of blood tickled his taste buds, he still hadn't dared remove his fist in fear that he'd start talking all over again nor left the room, even though the his mouth stopped hours ago. Now, feeling safer, he slowly stretched his jaw to the widest he could and removed his clenched bone-white fingers.

He silently cursed at the deep teeth marks cutting into his skin right above the knuckles, flexing them, checking the self inflicted wounds carefully with cold eyes. The pain was a dull throb, now and much easier to cut off from her senses. Then again, this was mere child's play to when Marik had sent his rare hunters to beat him. Though, not the most difficult time.

He blew air quietly from his nostrils as the stubborn knot tied under his stomach finally melted away. The tension flowed out of him as he walked to the kitchen and silently searched the cabinets. When he finally found the medical ointment, he was completely calm. He had completely tucked the little episode away into a dark corner of his mind where it wouldn't see the light of day unless searched for. That he would not be doing in the near future. Maybe in not in any future, he reflected. Never in those moments had he ever felt so weak in his life. He hated to feel weak. Long ago, he had vowed never to be weak again. He could force himself to do anything and not care for the harm of the body.

Even now, as he bandaged his hand, he was taking care of the tool given to him, not really caring for it. The fading memory now sleeping and being forgotten, however, was changing his thinking, making him afraid of it. Change comes hard to one that has lived for thousands of years. By forgetting he could hide from the fear that he, the sadistic thief that robbed the Pharaoh's treasure chamber again and again that refused any weakness of himself, could have actually felt and maybe have even _liked_ to feel weak in the presence of this young female. That was against everything, and his mind would not, _could_ not, allow it.

It is unfortunate for him, by hiding the knowledge away in his head, it could work undetected and change what he was struggling not to accept. Subconsciously, his own mind was working against itself, under his very nose.

Book Dragon: "Please review."


	15. Hidden Secret

Book Dragon: "Thank you for the reviews!"

Chapter 15: Hidden Secret

T.R emerged from the kitchen, flexing his fingers of the bandaged limp, checking if there was any unseen damage when a familiar dark voice momentarily startled him.

"How did you do that?" The sudden surprise didn't even bristle to his face, leaving him looking cold and agitated as his eyes narrowed at the man bound in the chair.

"That is none of your concern." He snarled softly, as not to disturb the serenity of the house. Waking anyone would only prove annoying. Yami blinked once but kept his silent serious expression that T.R hated with a passion, but then again, he hated everything about the pharaoh with a passion. Tonight, however, he was too tired to deal with him at all. T.R stalked off to Javas's bedroom to sleep for the night.

"How long do you think it'll take for her to discover that you are simply a spirit of the Ring? That by her keeping it you are connected mind to mind?" Yami asked him quietly. T.R gritted his teeth. He didn't have to deal with this right now, so he wouldn't. He curled his fingers around the knob.

"Then again, telling her that would frighten her. I suppose it is better to gain her trust as an outsider first... that part of the plan?"

"Does it matter?" T.R asked in a grumble with his back to him, "You obviously wouldn't tell her. A promise to that idiot Bakura, I suppose?"

"Don't, TombRobber. I warn you."

"Then don't tread on my nerves, Pharaoh. Rotten dreams…" He left Yami to his thoughts in the dark.

(Somewhere else…)

"Something wrong officer?"

"Yes! There is something wrong! _YOU _were going fifty miles _over_ the speed limit! In a school zone!"

"Well, I don't think you have to worry about any buses at this time of night officer. As for speeding, I'm kind of in a hurry."

"DON'T GET SMART WITH ME! Personally, _I_ don't care what you're in a hurry for. I'm giving you a ticket!"

"Yeah, okay, fine. Just make it quick. I _really _have to be going. A friend needs me."

"I'll take as long as I like, _thank you._"

"Look, I'll never do it again, okay? It's just a life or death crisis here!"

"Yeah, sure."

"No, I'm serious! A buddy of mine has been kidnapped-Will you get the light away from my face!"

"Quiet, or I'll fill out a ticket for disturbing the peace. I'm sure the police can handle that, sir. I mean that _is_ what we're paid for. We don't need some punk driving at eighty-miles-an-hour on a motorcycle to endanger everyone else because their 'buddy' is missing."

"Hey, it's two AM and it's as cold as all hell out here. Don't you think it would be very serious if I were driving, now? Just fill out the ticket and let me be on my way."

"Don't push me, sir, or I'll haul your ass in to the station. I've been on shift for more than six hours doing nothing but watching cars go by listening to opera. I don't need any logic tests from any old biker. Give me your driver's license."

"If it'll get me out of here any quicker…here."

"Ah, okay then. Here's your ticket and license, Mr. Wheeler. It's got to be paid by the 30th."

"Yeah that's great…you done yet?"

"Yes, yes I am. Have a great-"

VVVVRROOOOMMMMM…

"HEY YOU BASTARD! SLOW DOWN! They _defiantly_ don't pay me enough for this bullshit…HEY!"

(…)

The soft golden rays of light gently warmed the tops of her eyelids. The light gently trickled deeper and deeper into the darkness of her dreaming state until finally she opened her eyes. She blinked once. Then twice. Then a third time, wondering if she were having some sort of nightmare.

"Good morning, I thought it would be nice to make you breakfast in bed."

For several moments she simply started at Javas, who was bright eyed and fully dressed in a pair of jeans in a dark green sweater, and the tray. She could see pancakes, waffles, an orange, a tall glass of milk, folk and spoon, a croissant, and a small glass vase with a single red rose. It took several tries to swallow that large lump in her throat as she slowly sat up, being careful that the blanket was on her every moment, as he set the tray down in front of her with a sweet smile.

She was in deep shit.

"Thank you, but I usually don't eat in the morning." She lied timidly as her mind busily tried to figure out a way to figure out how to get him out of the room so she could at least put her clothes on. Wait a second. Her clothes were washed last night so they were outside the room, which meant…

Her face paled in realization.

"Nonsense! You should eat. See, you don't even look well. Some food in your stomach will make you feel much better. Unless something is bothering you, then I wouldn't mind sitting and talking, if you like." He sat down on the end of the bed, his hand mere inches away from her covered feet while the other was neatly placed on his lap. She averted her eyes to the tray, trying to keep all sight of him away, no matter how much she worried over where his hands were.

"Um. No, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, but I'm really alright." She said as clearly as her tied tongue would allow.

"Are you sure? What ever we talk about I promise not to tell anyone, if it makes you feel better…It could be our little secret…" He edged slightly closer, smiling innocently with large blue eyes, his hand now on her ankles. She could feel the heat from his hand warming her skin lightly. Her heart fluttered violently in her chest as the feeling of not having enough air embraced her. Light-headed she felt completely numbed in sickening worry that she was sure she'd faint until a loud crunch made her muffled ears clear. She looked and found T.R leaning against the wall to the left or her, a waffle in his hand with a large bite mark in it, and his jaw moving in a chewing motion.

"These waffles are crunchy." He said with a full mouth, picked up the milk, and gulped down about half of it. Javas glared at T.R, his face paler than usual, but rather annoyed. The white-haired teen ignored him and loudly put the glass back on the tray, and picked something off the floor and tossed it onto the bed uncaringly. Kaede stared in disbelieve at the pile of her jumbled clothing, and looked at him curiously, even though she was bursting with gratitude.

"These are yours." He said jadedly; bring his hand close to his face as he yawned.

"While you're getting dressed, Javas can help me make lunch for our little captive in the living room. As much as I'd like to see him starve, I know you'll order me into feeding him, better to just get it over with. Come on." He gruffly yanked Javas to his feet and escorted him roughly out of the room with his arm over his shoulder and shut the door behind them.

T.R paused behind the door for a moment, listening to her get out of bed and hurry to the bathroom before turning his full attention back to Javas. With no warning he brought his arm down on the boy's neck and curled it around until he was cringing in a head lock as he mercilessly dragged him into the family room, where he violently threw him into the couch. The force made the back of the couch hit the floor loudly, waking the Yami from his sleep in a jolt. The tomb robber was so angry that he completely forgot about the Pharaoh (which had to be a first in his entire life as a spirit of the ring). His mind was fogged up by a large cloud of rage he was barely able to section off from Kaede. A cloud that needed to be vented.

"You're pushing your luck." He hissed at Javas, who was hiding behind the cushions on the tipped couch, staring at him with hate but far more fear. T.R let him bask in that frightful stare for a couple of minutes, calming down, and clearing his mind. He looked over at Yami, who had his head down and seemed to be dozing. That Pharaoh could sleep through everything. It left him open to speak freely, which was a delight.

"This is not a game." He continued, listening to how dark and sinister his voice sounded.

"Try any of this seductive bullshit again and I _will_ have your head. Go." He hissed quietly, now aware that the bathroom door had opened. Time was up. T.R glared at Javas as he scurried into the kitchen and quickly pulled the couch up right and threw the cushions on it and evened them out, trying to remove evidence of a scuffle.

When everything was just as it had been before, Kaede walked in, the tray in her hands and fully clothed in her stripped blue and white t-shirt and jeans, but yawning tiredly. She brightened a bit at the sight of him.

"Good morning! Sorry I didn't say it before, you caught me by surprise." She gave him a smile before she disappeared into the kitchen, leaving T.R curtly nodding once and the blankest face imaginable before following her, trying very hard to make a bored expression instead.

Yami finally lifted his head, a sly smirk on his face. Despite how troubled he felt about both of the teens' safety, it seemed that Kaede wasn't completely helpless. He wondered if she had planed this or whether she didn't have a clue it was happening. Still, she was in some danger, which _was_ to worry about, since she seemed to be friendly with him. He bet she didn't know how dangerous he was, even under her mother's heavily laid spell of control over him. He was still as devious and violent as ever. He also wondered, with a widening smile, how long TombRobber could last against such a distraction. By the look of things he wouldn't be able to even think clearly, as well as go through with any plans soon.

Book Dragon: "Please Review!"


	16. Discussion

Chapter 16: Discussions

Kaede had decided that it was okay to untie 'Mr. Mutou' so he could eat the cereal Javas made him and implied to the plants to release him, only after T.R made sure all the doors and windows were locked. She was surprised by how comfortable she felt with the man completely free. She supposed it was that he hadn't made any escape attempts or started screaming in anyway for help. Nor had he tried to hurt anyone. Still, she was sure he was very dangerous. Just by looking at Javas's paper white face and the sunken way he was sitting on the couch, flipping through channels, trying desperately to pretend that everything was just peachy when he was really scared out of his skull.

Looking at T.R, she puzzled over how dangerous he could be since he held the regular 'This is the dullest thing in the world and I'd love to bash my head against the wall than be here' look with his arms crossed loosely and yawning next to her was enough to mix conclusions.

"So is there something we can call you?" she asked him after a while of watching the channels blink from cooking shows to really old cartoons about some rabbit out smarting a police dog called Funny Bunny.

"My name is Yami." He replied after he swallowed, and then from the shocked look on her face added, "Yes, the one and the same Pharaoh of Egypt 5025 years ago."

"That is why he's been calling me Pharaoh if you wondered." Yami continued, nodding toward T.R as he took another bite.

"Not that you deserve that title." T.R retorted, his eyes narrowed in a fierce glare. Yami seemed not to hear his comment, or, more accurately, probably ignored him. Kaede could tell he was trying to be polite. He had to be hungry. She could bet that if he was alone he'd probably be eating the meal a lot faster. It made her feel a bit guilty that they were detaining him.

As for the whole identity ancient king spectrum, she was dead sure he was telling the truth, despite Javas's mouthing of 'wacko' several hundred times. It was too much of a coincidence for him to make it up, with all the weird ancient Millennium items (she was sure the ring was one, now. It had that freaky eye on it, after all.) and T.R calling him Pharaoh the first time he'd spoken to him, and even when that cloaked guy called T.R a thief. T.R could actually stand for 'Tomb Robber'…he _had_ called him that a couple of times and it would explain the expert lock picking. T.R _did_ say he was from 5025 years ago. Looking at his hostile nature she knew they had to have known one another. It was conclusive. The only question was how did Yami get here?

_"No. My spirit dwells inside the ring. It is now your ring."_

Kaede blinked at the memory and for the first time examined it. Could Yami be a spirit of Mr. Mutou's puzzle? T.R said he was a spirit, but that didn't make sense. He's solid. Spirits are usually transparent, go through walls and things.

"If you're a spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, and that's a big if, and you say it can do magic, then did it give you a body?" she asked him in a puzzled tone. T.R tensed slightly before giving Yami and harder more violent stare. The Pharaoh looked thoughtful as he chewed for a few long moments before he swallowed.

"No. I've only had my own body for the last decade or so and that was only possible with your mother's help. If she hadn't made me a body I'd still be stuck sharing-"

"MY MOTHER KNEW YOU!" Kaede asked incredulously. Javas jolted at the sudden volume and gave her a look of shock. One that implied he didn't even know she could _be_ that loud. Yami hadn't thought that either. He flinched so strongly that the bowl fell from his hands and bounced off his lap onto the floor, flinging milk and cereal onto the carpet as well as himself.

For a moment they simple stared at the spilled milk. Then Yami sighed when he took a look at the white liquid quickly seeping into his clothes as Javas went to the kitchen for a towel.

"Better not to cry over it, Pharaoh." T.R remarked. He was smiling widely at Yami's expression, enjoying how uncomfortable he looked, until Kaede had to ruin it.

"Better ask where some clothes are for you. You're soaked." She followed Javas into the kitchen.

"I hate how she has to wreak everything." The thief grumbled, his mood souring again.

"I wouldn't say she wreaks _everything_ for you." Yami replied. He crouched down and started to pick up the bowel and the little stray pieces of cereal.

"What do you mean?" T.R queried with a snarl. Yami had a tone about him, a smug tone, a tone you learned to be wary of after a short period of time.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." The Pharaoh replied in the same smugness, now with a hint of laugher about him.

"Are you mocking me?"

"No."

"Then why are you smirking like that?" He asked threateningly. He was loosing his temper faster than usual. He could feel the bubbling sensation in his gut beginning to intensify as he made his hands into fists.

"Don't get upset. You'll only cause trouble for both of us." Yami retorted his voice also darkening. His fuse was also short. Being tied up in a chair for more than six hours with nothing to eat will do that to a person, faster in someone as old as he was now. He was starting to get arthritis in both hands. Stiff limps made the pain worse.

"By the way things are going we'll both cause trouble."

"It'll cost more than you can handle."

"And what is _that_ suppose to mean!"

"What you think it does."

"And what could that be?"

"Guess."

"Sorry it took so long." Kaede said as she walked into the room, making both spirits jump in surprise. She had a neatly folded bundle of clothes in her arms, her expression slightly moody.

"I took me forever to find something that looked like it might fit." She gave him the clothes carefully. The spark of the argument was still as hot as a burning coal in Yami's mind, no matter how he tried to cover it at the moment. T.R was clenching his teeth in frustration, knowing damn well that she was lying. Javas was probably talking circles around her, since he had failed to show his face for such a brief task. There was no stopping the boy. When he got his hands on him-

"Javas wants to get some clothes for us while we're here. He figures he and I can take care of it-"

"Tell him I'll do it." T.R replied placidly. Kaede furrowed her forehead for a moment.

"…Ooookayyy… I will." She walked into the kitchen again, a baffled look spreading.

Yami smirked again.

"What are you staring at!" He scowled getting up off the couch, pretending to hunt for his shoes. Yami shrugged casually, leaving T.R to his worry about his smooth smile widening.

"Why in Ra's name does this always happen to me?" He grumbled to himself as he found his shoes in Javas's room, a mirror to Kaede's, under the bed since he had been using that part of the floor to sleep on and muttered as he shoved them on.

As he was tying them Javas entered the room, the bowl and spoon in his hands looking a bit angry, but not angry enough to challenge him. T.R was sure he had a decent bruise from the couch. Still, it would've been interesting to at least to see what he'd say. All he got out of him was a bundle of cash he seemed to produce from no where slapped into his hand and a threatening glower. He disregarded the expression and tucked the money into his pocket as he trudged to the door and turned the knob.

"You aren't leaving with out me are you?" she asked him, hopping over to him with one shoe on the other being jammed onto her foot.

"I guess not." He replied snappily. He was dreading it. There was no escaping whatever god that loved to see him tortured was there?

(…)

Seto Kaiba brushed his graying brown hair back with his hand and used every chord in his being to remain completely calm. Right now he had the house to himself. It was quiet for once, nothing was crashing to the floor and no one was yelling. He hadn't the mind to work, though he was sitting in his home office. No matter how much the police said to think of other things, he couldn't. Instead, he found himself tapping his index finger on his desk rapidly, worrying his guts out.

It had been two days since he had last seen his son, about fourteen hours that he had been missing, and the police still couldn't find anything useful to where Javas could possibly be. Of course they weren't happy when he demanded they find him now, but how could a father think straight when his only child was missing. He was ashamed of doing that. He was content enough to hack into their files and see what was going on and send a team of highly paid detectives to find him instead. Unfortunately, they too hadn't found anything yet.

When he had first found out, he had been pretty angry for an hour or so. However, after the end of the second hour he had forgotten any fury and was worrying sick. Hoping to god that he was okay and he'd come home soon.

He hadn't figured out what to tell Serenity yet. Telling her flat out that they might not ever see him again was just plain stupid, but he couldn't even think clearly enough to think of a calm way of telling her Javas was missing. He was lucky she was out of town visiting her mother right now. So far he had her believe he was staying over a friend's and the police were just here checking the house because he was sure some one tried to break in last night. She believed him. She was gullible, but it was one of the things he loved about her. Still, lying didn't help him feel any better since the guilt was also doing him in.

He was slightly glad when the door bell rang and told one of the butlers to bring whoever they were in right away. He brushed back his hair several times more and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants before he faced the large spinning chair toward the door and considered putting his feet up and quickly decided against it. It would be something his idiot brother-in-law would do. Instead he took a pen and started scribbling and doodling on the post-it note his wife had left, saying to remember get someone to mow the lawn this week since the man who usually did it quit recently. He had that affect on people.

Removing the pen and looking at what he had written and drawn had surprised him. On the yellow sticky note was a perfect triangle, the base facing up and a point pointing south. In the center of the shape were a couple of jagged lines and a large Egyptian eye on it. There was also a half circle on the base of the triangle and a long line leading up to the end of the paper made it actually look like something someone would wear. Next to the object, much to his annoyance, in large capital letters were the words:

**YOU IDIOT!**

Kaiba crumpled up the note and threw it into the waste basket fumingly and started looking for a cigarette in his desk, hoping maybe he'd find one that he had hidden before Serenity had made him quit, glancing at the basket every couple of seconds, until finally, to his relief, the door swung open.

His relief was very brief. Actually, it imploded the moment the two men entered the room.

"What are you two doing here!" he asked them bitterly. The shorter of the two men, the spiky tri color haired man with big violet eyes and a kind face was of course his long time rival Yugi Mutou, the man he hated with all his heart. Yugi, however, didn't look like his cheerful self today. He actually looked very tried and for the first time ever, irritated. The second man, however was about three feet taller than him with a painfully awake look in that annoyed gaze in those brown eyes. It also looked like he'd been driving for a while.

"We've come for your help, Kaiba." Yugi said wearily, holding his puzzle with one hand as he sat down.

"And what makes you think I'll help you?"

"Don't and I'll make sure my sister hears' about that." Said his stupid brother-in-law. Kaiba rolled his eyes as Joey Wheeler, the tall blonde man in the black leather biking jacket sat in the other chair next to Yugi.

"You don't know what kind of hell I've been through biking all the way back here. I've gotten about forty tickets just entering Japan alone."

"Well, that's smart of you puppy." Joey growled but didn't attempt to hurt him. He was far to tired, which was good since Yugi didn't look like he was in anyway capable of holding him off.

"Look, Kaiba we really need your help."

"Where have I heard this before?"

"Shut up, will yeah?"

"Bakura's ring went missing about a week ago. He called me he was so worried about it."

"Three days lata his littlest girl went missing." Joey added

"He must have been really upset because he drove to my house. I found his car parked outside. I figured he was inside so I walked in."

"The shop was completely trashed. Everything was tossed all over the place. I'd say there was a struggle, probably between three real heavy guys."

"And of course you'd know that." Kaiba retorted.

"Don't push it, Kaiba."

"Anyway, I looked and looked and looked."

"No Bakura anywhere."

"Yami went out to look for them but I haven't heard from him in hours. So I called Joey."

"And I came whipping down here. End of story."

"So we need your help to find him, his daughter, and maybe the ring. Yami said she probably had it and the spirit talked her into leaving." Yugi said sadly, "Can you help us?" Kaiba stopped tapping his fingers and folded his hands on the desk.

"I actually have my own problems right now, Yugi, so no." he replied curtly.

"Fine! We don't need a heartless bastard like you!" Joey screamed at him, pounding his fist on the desk. Unfortunately, Kaiba wasn't in the mood to deal with him.

"GET OUT!" the CEO roared. Suddenly the door opened. The three men froze as a middle aged woman peeked her head in the door.

"Um, Mr. Kaiba. The detectives have called back. They've found some interesting news."

"Put them on line two."

"Yes sir." Joey and Yugi shared a puzzled look as Kaiba grabbed the little black phone the minute it rang.

"Talk to me. Yes. Yes. Is that so? Interesting. Call me if anything else comes up." He replaced the receiver.

"I'll help you."

"Really? Oh thank you Kaiba!"

"Why the sudden change?" Joey asked him suspiciously.

"Because," Kaiba replied, speaking in a cold smooth voice, "I've just been informed that three teenagers, two with white hair and one with blonde and blue eyes, were sighted with a tall man who had spiky tri-colored looking hair on fourth avenue yesterday at about four in the afternoon. When I find Yami, I am going to kill him."

Book Dragon: "Please Review"


	17. Wings

Chapter 17: Wings

The door swung open easily, considering the amount of force used on it, and bounced off the wall with a thunderous bang. Kaede walked into the house, carrying two bags with a look of calm happiness. Her clothes had darkened, due to the extra amount of water that had hitched a ride on her, and needless to say where ever she went, that piece of the carpet would be sharing it too as well as a bit of mud. T.R entered shortly afterward, only because he had to admire the dark brown sneaker mark now posted in the middle of the door where she had planted her foot to open the door.

His expression was bored, but a humored type of bored. He was actually in a good mood despite how horrible he felt when they left, about an hour ago. The trip hadn't been as painful as he had imagined. Actually, it wasn't what he had imagined at all. He had expected to be dragged around for three hours in a mall as she asked him what clothes looked good or what might look good on her. He was surprised when they walked into a department store and watched her take a pair of pants off the rack, place the waist over her own to see if they'd fit, and picked up four more.

She picked out five t-shirts, three blue, one black, one green in about two minutes. When they went by the underwear section she placidly grabbed a package of underwear and a couple of bras and moved on into the men's section where she talked basically about what he felt like wearing and what Javas might wear. They grabbed some shirts and jeans, underwear and socks, and they were on their way out when she stopped.

He nearly ran into her and stopped, but he wasn't fortunate enough to be in a comfort zone. He nearly had his nose in her hair and actually got a large whiff of it before he could back off. She smelled good. Enough to make him forget to breathe for a few moments. He took a large silent breath right before she took off a large black trench coat the rack and turned it around, studying it with a thoughtful look, pressed it against him, looked at it again, and then brought her gaze to him.

"What do you think?"

"Seems nice." She took another look at it.

"Hmm…I don't know. I thought you'd look killer in one of these, kind of modern gunslinger or a mage of some sort. I like it. Do you?" He took the coat from her and weighed it in his hand for a moment. It was light but warm, could easily conceal an assortment of weapons, the out side pockets were deep, and there was even a small inside pocket that would hold his dueling deck. He gave her the clothes he was holding, swung it around and put his arm into the sleeve, found that the sleeve was just right as was his size, and gave it back to her.

"Yes." He replied, and took the things back.

"Then it's yours." She replied, and took another one that she too dawned. It was like putting a kitten in too large of a blanket. The black sleeves were too long and went several inches over her hands. An inch of the coat was lying on the floor collecting any stray dirt from the floor. Her shoulders were too small, the extra material hung there baggy and starting to wrinkle and the collar went up to about the middle of her ear when it slightly brushed the bottom of his when put on. She also took a black cowboy hat off a near by shelf and shoved that on her head.

He could have laughed. She looked like a small girl playing dress up with her father's clothes, minus the large bulky shoes. For a few joyous moments he couldn't recognize any of the shape of the body that had been burned into his mind a night before. She was completely covered, nothing special, not a rose of the dessert, but a simple girl. Then she tilted the brim of her hat and looked him in the eye with big dune-colored orbs framed by skin as pale as the moon and a small pink full lipped smile.

"Yeah, I suppose this is a good coat. A bit big for me, but I could fold the sleeves and maybe cut the bottom of it and try to sow it up. I'm not a sowing expert, but I've seen it done before, it didn't look so hard, and I'm sure Javas has to have some black thread and a needle…hey there's even an inside pocket in this thing…" She put her fist into the pocket and tested it, letting the brim of the hat hide her pretty face that was somehow magnified moments ago and woke the TombRobber from his blank face and over flowing dark brown eyes to twist back into the placid thief who wanted nothing but power.

"Although, I'm not sure fighting would be so easy in this thing." She thought aloud to herself.

"Why would _you_ be concerned about such a thing?" He asked her dryly. He didn't expect an answer, but after a few hesitant moments her voice came drifting from under the hat, slightly muffled, but the words clear.

"Well, after thinking about how that meeting went with that caped guy, I've figured out how dangerous they were. I figured out last night that I should, maybe, perhaps, learn to fight. See, looking after me wouldn't have so much pressure on you and it wouldn't be such a chore of trying to take care of me later on. I think I should learn to fight physically as well as…uh…with my talent. I mean, I saw you fight, you are spectacular, like someone out of the movies, and I'm not trying to insult you, but I think it maybe a nice side-thing if in case I do something stupid in the future, cause I can do some really stupid shit. It would be a self defense thing. I wouldn't be such an annoyance that way…I'd hope."

T.R was silent. Having her learn to fight _would_ be useful. Probably even fun to watch in the beginning since she'd get pummeled easily. Her magic use was weak and her physical strength and stamina was even more to laugh at. For some reason, however, something was screaming at him to say 'no', not for her to learn to fight, and he wasn't quite sure why. It couldn't be that he could actually be starting to _like_ her…could it?

He shook the feeling off.

"You want to learn to fight?"

"Well, I just figured it would be a good idea and-"

"Then you will learn to fight. Come now, we need to pay for these items." Those were weird words. He waited as she took off the coat and hat and followed her uneasy strides to the register where the things were paid for and they left with two large bags.

His mood had lightened slightly when she had to stop and take a look around in the bookstore. This reassured him that she was still _somewhat_ predictable. He glanced over the titles with cool eyes and found they stopped in the fantasy section, as expected, and watched her expression go from nervous to lighting up as her eyes scanned over the spines of the books. Her fingers brushed them lovingly, until she found one she liked, then it was taken off. Her eyes scanned the back of it, soaking in the words for several moments.

He hadn't thought much of the smell of paper, but he could hear her taking in large amounts of air and the smile spread on her face. She seemed intoxicated with it, the same way he used to see a man after one too many beers. She wasn't tipsy; her eyes were just hooded as if it were a fragrance. He let a smirk go, a small one, but a grin all the same. And to his surprise, he really didn't care.

They left just as it started to rain.

Despite how many times he seen it rain in his immortal live time, he was still fascinated by it. He was still use to the way of the dessert, where rain came very rarely. Even though he learned it was more frequent in other parts of the world, it was still something to admire.

It wasn't a light rain. It was a very heavy down pour, the kind where you-can't-see-two-feet-in-front-of-you heavy rain. It was also like ice water. He could see his breath clouding as the fall increased, and wasn't displeased. A thousand ice showers would never make him completely forget the dessert's heat. He still felt like he was just leaving the hot land when ever it poured down on him. He figured he always would.

He also figured they'd run the whole four blocks back to Javas's safe haven when she surprised him again. She walked about three feet from the store entrance and just lifted her face up in the direction of the sky, stretching her arms out and feeling the strong wind through her shirt, it billowing about her. It blew her hair wildly and the smile on her face grew.

"This is a nice rain. We could possibly get snow. Have you ever seen snow before?"

"Yes. I have."

"It reminds me of sand, except cold and wet, slipping between your fingers. It's a quite time, for me. The plants die and the trees sleep all winter. You know it use to drive me crazy when I was little, but now, I've learned to enjoy it. The noise is sometimes over whelming, you know, it's nice just to have it quiet…"

T.R brushed his hair, sending water droplets all over as he attempted to dry off a little. The room's heat was already helping a lot. He shut the door and placed the damp bags on the carpet, removed his shoes and watched Yami enter the room. It toned his mood down enough for him to feel awake again, but was calm enough to ignore the Pharaoh's odd grin and searched the bags for his own clothing.

Kaede was removing her books, still approving of her selections, as well as putting her nose in them, breathing them in. She seemed happy, for once in what seemed like eternity, despite all the horrible things seeping into her life. She felt as light as air, able to walk on clouds, completely weightless. Maybe vindicated was the right word for it? Completely freed. She could fly if she wanted to…yes, just sprout wings and drive out the window and soar above the buildings, catching clouds in her hands, being one with the wind-

"There's something I haven't seen in years." Kaede blinked a puzzled blink and looked for the source of rarity. For a perplexing reason, she found Yami and T.R just staring right at her, studying her. Uneasiness replaced her freed feeling and she quickly shut the book with a slap and wondered about what they were looking at.

Javas entered the room shortly from the kitchen, a glass vase of flowers in both hands, until he greeted her with a smile and found his mouth twisted open and his fingers gave out. The vase shattered onto the floor with a loud crystal breaking noise that made her back away from the three of them, worried.

"W-what are you guys staring at!" The sound of her voice combined with the crash of glass made Yami stop gazing and look at her as he usually did, putting his hands into his pockets.

"It's really nothing, I just remember your mother doing that quite a lot-"

"Y-you've grown WINGS!" Javas stuttered.

"WHAT!" As she exclaimed a prickle of feeling rose from her back and something else crashed. She whipped around in surprised and only saw a brief wall over blurred green before more things started falling over. She felt something spread out behind her, something like two arms she never knew were there before. She panicked and started to run for the bathroom, misjudging the wall since her got caught on the door by the mysterious arm-things on her back and broke a few more things before T.R had his arm in the front of her waist and his hand some where behind her, bring something down. She felt air and more smashing as she struggled against him, scared, until he yelled.

"WILL YOU CALM DOWN WOMAN! You're mother took it a lot better than this!"

She felt his arms holding her, making her feel something light brushing against her back every few seconds. She felt like she was going to start shrieking and clung to him, placing her head against his chest, her hands holding budged parts of his shirt, and breathing deeply as she tried to make herself calm down.

T.R made a choked noise and gritted his teeth painfully against what his body was saying. There was about a hundred pounds of girl leaning heavily on his chest, clinging to him, shaking in his arms. He could feel her distinct warm shape on him. He gulped, trying to breathe as he held down a large amount of foliage against her back. He was sure his face was red and getting redder. He could feel her heart beat against his own and fought with all his being to control himself. He couldn't weaken. Not now. Not so far into the game. Not-

Her struggling slowed and she breathed into his chest as she held him a bit, calming down, muttering to herself that she was okay. He would've agreed with her if he dared to open his mouth. He was more afraid of what he'd do with it if left unchecked. His legs felt like lead, but the rest of him was exploding with feeling. He could feel how soft her hair was underneath his palm. Like silk.

He made himself remove it and place it onto her back, which turned out to be a mistake. She curved under the wings. He felt very uncomfortable, the most uneasiness in his whole life. He felt like he was trapped in the heat of a thousand Sahara Desserts when the sun was mere inches from his flesh. And suddenly, like a veil being lifted, the gods smiled upon him.

A breath later, he was alone, by himself, arms wide and very stiff, completely freed of temptation and wobbling because of it. Through a dazed mind he watched Yami lead her away, his arm on her shoulder, taking her into the bathroom so she could have a look at herself and understand fully, muttering something. T.R took a silent cold breath of relief and felt himself ease back slightly and remember his calm methodical devious self and returned to that nature.

Or would have if he didn't feel the desperate need to be alone, in which case he wore the mask, strode off into Javas's room, into the bathroom, and locked himself inside. Then he leaned heavily on the wall and cursed several ancient insults that had not taken to the wind in centuries and slid down the wall slowly until he was sitting on the cold floor, raging and screaming at such a moment and roaring louder at the cold depressed feeling settling over him now.

"Take it easy, if you struggle you'll break something." Yami told her sternly, sitting on the edge of the tub in her bathroom, trying to calm her down more.

"I'm not struggling! I'm trying to figure out what I was doing when…_this_ happened!" She yelled, stamping her foot hard. Her wings rustled agitatedly, showering more red and yellow maple leaves where she was standing.

"Don't do that. You'll loose leaves when you're stressed." He replied warningly, glancing at Javas a moment before he shook his head. He was trying to ignore Javas, who was keeping a safe distance away from them by her bathroom door. He was scared, Yami could understand this, but she was relatively calm right now, she at least wasn't knocking over pictures or books.

Instead she was staring at the large green vine limps growing millions of reddening medium sized five pointed leaves, maple leaves, sprouting from her back. They didn't look much like wings at first, more like two large trees growing off of her, but taking a closer look she could see where the leaves meet the vines like feathers would meet to the skin on the bone of a bird's wing. It was still making her shiver.

"Don't I want to make them fall off!" She queried worriedly, making more fall into a small pile around her feet. Yami shook his head.

"No. You'd just be left with twigs and you can't fly with those, you need-"

"Fly? FLY! I'M NOT GONNA FLY! I'M AFRAID OF HEIGHTS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! YOU CAN'T EXPECT ME TO FLY! I CAN'T FLY!"

"Shhhh…it's okay, no one is going to make you, just calm down…" Yami replied soothingly, watching with silent dread as thirty or so brown ones fell to icy floor and crackled. If she went on like this he wasn't exactly sure what would occur.

Ryelle hadn't done any of this when she had her wings out. She and Bakura use to go flying for hours after dark when they had been younger, before they were married. They still did every now and then, but it diminished as they had gotten older and by the time Mat had been born they had to stop.

It was actually kind of sad, Yami had thought at the time, but understandable. The best way to keep a child safe from the danger of something, one thing that can be done is to make one oblivious to it. If you don't think you can do it, you wouldn't attempt it. It's even better when you don't have a clue it can even be done.

Unfortunately, he was looking at the side-affect of that decision. Being oblivious to a gift and stumping across it suddenly can be either heart-lifting, or in this case, completely and utterly shocking. If they had told her about this sort of thing before it occurred, she may have been able to avoid it, or control it, or even turn back to normal. It was even worse that the secret had died with the mother years ago. Now she had to figure out the trick in the inner chambers of her own mind.

He knew the key to the dilemma would be there, somewhere. This, after all, was a strong burst of magic. He could feel the vibrations in the air and the smallest smell of bitter-sweet odor around them as well as the deep light shaking of his core. Yes, this was a spell, not a dark one, nor any magic he'd encountered, besides her mother, before. Being the one who locked the dark magic away wasn't coming in handy right now, and instead he found himself with three options.

1) He could get Shadi. Shadi was the holder of the Millennium Key, after all, and it was the only one that could enter different minds. He could probably find the secret if he looked long enough. But he wasn't sure what affect that'd have on Kaede. She may not let him in willingly.

2) He could let her figure it out herself. After a while she would be bound to wander the inner sanctums in worriment before long. She might have a better idea where it was hidden and could fix the problem easily. It would also teach her something. That is if she'd calm down enough, which wasn't likely from this point. She seemed afraid of her own skin at the moment.

3) The final one, the one he really didn't want to turn to was the simplest and probably the fastest. Let the TombRobber go in. He did have the keys to her soul room, and even if he didn't he could pick his way in. He could figure out were the trick was to make her normal and do so without her knowing it at all. They were linked after all. Regrettably, TombRobber was struggling with his own feelings right now. He wouldn't dare step into her mind for fear of being discovered not only his intrusion, but the link as well. If she knew about the link, she could travel to his room when ever she wanted. That would lead to the discovery of many dark secrets, battles, horrors, and the thought of his own urges he bore and hid even from himself. It would probably wreak what was taking place, how she was slowly changing him from the raging sadistic half millennium old soul, to a peaceful deity that could even rest in his long buried grave. Or at least he hoped.

Crossing his arms, the once savior of Egypt, thought out the problem as logically as it could be processed and found himself totally blank. The King of Games, the only person to ever out smart Kaiba more than three times, and saved the world more than once with his brilliant mind couldn't think of what to do. He was actually surprised at himself for it. He wondered what Yugi would say, pondered the answer his imagination of the youth's voice (well, to the 5025 year old spirit, anyway) said in his mind, and agreed.

Book Dragon: "Please Review."


	18. Confronation

Chapter 18: Confrontation

In the dimness of night's twilight, Kaede sat alone, hugging herself and watching the blackness stretching over her vision. She was scared, she admitted that, and didn't have any idea of what she should be doing to go back to normal.

Yami had said that after some time she'd most likely go back to how she was before. Sometimes things that come on so suddenly go away just as quick. It sounded logical, but she was pretty sure this would be one of those problems that didn't go away. She forced herself not to wonder because she knew that would only get her upset and end up doing something stupid again. She still felt close to blushing in embarrassment for being so girly before. Her sister would say that was completely normal since she was a girl after all, but she just thought it idiotic for her to act like so. It was just too…_Christa_… Christa was the one in the family to act all cute and pretty. She was suppose to be the beautiful butterfly, just as Mat was to be the guitar-playing punk who protected his kid sister while teasing her about it, and she was to be the goody two shoes that never caused trouble.

But now that wasn't true, that was apparent, running from home, putting her family in danger. She had changed, she realized slowly, now mentally as well as physically, and puzzled whether or not she liked it. Then again, people change all the time as they got older. Change wasn't that bad…to a point, or she hoped.

With the lamp light on over the desk, Javas craned over the shiny insides of his slightly crushed laptop with a screw driver in hand and two narrowed eyes. He had been sitting there for about two hours now, doing the equivalent of brain surgery on his beloved machine, trying to keep his mind totally focused on it than Yami leaning over his shoulder, watching with an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Is there something I can do for you?" He asked exasperated, for the third time in five minutes. And again he was answered with the same reply.

"No. Just watching." Usually, the conversation ended there, but Javas was now past the point of irritated and would risk anything just to get rid of him.

"Why are you watching?"

"I'm just curious."

"About what?" Yami opened his mouth to answer when the bathroom door finally opened. Javas didn't bother to look up, picking up the needle-nose pliers and carefully removed the small cracked memory board and set it down with a clatter, ignoring his room mate completely. He took out another green card and carefully replaced it and found a plastic plate to patch up the exposed spots, watching Yami's attention immediately leave his opened computer to the boy his peripheral vision, and started to replace the first screw.

"What do you want, Pharaoh?" T.R asked, noting he was being stared at. His voice was dark and stormy, making Javas wince for a spilt second. It was the tone that implied 'come near me and I will tie you upside down and slowly cut off your fingers one by one, then yours toes, then your hands, feet, arms, legs, after a period of years in the most painful fashion you can imagine.' Yami stared at him for a moment.

"Nothing."

"Don't tell me that." He grunted. His nerves were frayed to an extremity and his eyes dropping from sleepiness. He looked as white as a ghost and ready just to faint on the bed. Javas looked at him with horrific gaze.

"…What happened to you?" He asked aghast.

"Nothing worth your concern." The thief spat and pushed his way past the 'forty year old' into the family room, where Yami heard him fall onto the sofa with a muffled thud and cursed lightly.

"This is worse than I thought." The pharaoh told himself grimly, and looked at Javas's confused face.

"Our friend is dealing with things right now. It would be unwise for someone as young as you to approach him in such a state. I fear, even though he is weakened at the moment, that he is an inch away from ripping someone's throat out…literally. I would not wish that upon you, Javas." Yami patted the teen on the shoulder as he strode to the door, turned the knob, and opened the door.

"If I were you, I wouldn't open this door." The man warned him, closing the door softly as he left, leaving Javas confused. His father hated Yugi Mutou, but no matter how much Javas wanted to hate him, the more he actually liked him. He knew the guy was clearly nuts, but he was nice, he looked out for other people (even when it was unnecessary). He found himself wondering if he could actually be as great as everyone said. He had beaten his father not once, not twice, but at least three times that he had heard of. He had to be an excellent game master…

Suddenly a completely and utterly crazy idea became apparent to the boy. He denied it at first. It was far too insane to even consider, anyway. Javas went back to work on his laptop, tweaking and tinkering, toiling for hours, thinking about the idea with more and more thought, until finally he could take it anymore.

"Fine." He snarled to himself. "I'll ask for his help in the morning." Satisfied, his brain stopped its endless learning to duel babble and turned back to his work, leaving him in peace.

Yami muttered a few ancient words the minute he closed the door, sealing it from sound as well as anyone opening it until he wished for it. He didn't want to endanger the boy; Kaiba would have his ass for that, in the very least of things. It would be better if he and the TombRobber had a one and one talk right now.

The ancient king glided to the opposite couch and sat down quietly, folding his hands as he leaned back and simply watched the thief lay there, eyes closed and half of his face mashed into the cushion while his legs where left pointing in the air from the knees down because of the arm rest probing them up. It seemed he just let himself fall sideways like that, his arm uselessly draped over the back of the couch while the other brushed against the floor. Yami waited, thinking of nothing and using his calm empathic nature, until finally the thief pulled himself upright, groggily and dazed. He had a look of a man with a lethal wound, and the same amount of tolerance.

"What do you want, Yami." He snarled savagely, steam shaking the mental wall between his mind and the girl's. Yami could feel it.

"I see you've also casted a spell to keep Kaede in her room, it is also sound proof. I would've made one for her but you saved me the trouble."

"Glad to be of some service." The thief growled, his eyes dully smoldering.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep…"

"I suppose the couch would be more comfortable than the floor." Yami admitted.

"But then again, her bed would be the warmest and coziest of all three." His comment hit dead center. Bull's eye. T.R immediately awoke from his half-sleep state to a shocked enraged level of thinking, letting a cold rage settle over him. _BANG_. Yami felt the force slammed against the makeshift barrier, sending a large crack traveling up it, steadily, until it finally stopped, leaving it damaged but still standing. T.R gritted his teeth and struggled to leash his anger as his eyes exploded into a burning inferno.

"…What did you say?" he asked in a small voice. Yami stared, unfazed at the burglar, with his arms crossed, and a look of complete indifference consuming his face.

"You heard what I said," the pharaoh replied, "I know how you feel, TombRobber. You can't hide it from me." His fanged teeth crunched down harder as his hands curled into fists, the imaginary wall shaking, bending under the strain. He fought against the anger, forced the wall to remain as a whole with all his might.

"I…don't know what you're talking about." T.R croaked defensively.

"Don't try to deny it. It is completely natural." Yami replied.

"Natural? What's natural? I don't know what you are speaking of…" He puffed, still straining to keep the wave of rage at bay.

"Stop trying to escape it. You've been caught, for once in your life, accept it."

"Accept what?"

"TombRobber, you're making it harder on yourself if you don't face your true feelings."

"Feelings! What _feelings_? I feel for no one. You'd better start making sense."

"It's the feelings that we can never face that we yield to."

"WHAT FEELINGS!" T.R roared, pushed the cracking pieces together, but his strength was fading, wavering. He wasn't sure how long he could hold it together.

"That you care for her! Have you not admitted it to yourself!" Yami asked him incredulously, but with a stern tone. The tide of anger evaporated, leaving him heavily shaken on the inside, holding the broken wall lightly, and dealing with the softer, nudging, confused thoughts drifting about him. And dazed shock.

"…Care for her? Do you think I _love_ her? What a joke! I couldn't careless for her."

"I didn't see that earlier, what did you call holding her like that?"

"I wasn't holding her. I was keeping her from doing damage to herself, part of the little rules I have to follow as a servant." He grunted with a tone of disgust, though his eyes slid gently to the floor.

"You could have let go after she had calmed herself." Yami replied testily.

"Why didn't you?" T.R was silently stared at the floor, his knuckles white from grasping his other hand so hard.

"You are attracted by her. It's hard to keep control isn't it? Having her so very close to you, a breath or touch away. She's driving you mad."

"I was driven mad centuries ago, Pharaoh. _You_ of all people should know that." TombRobber spat agitatedly, his lips peeled back in a look of anguish and hatred.

"You killed everyone that ever mattered. Burned their flesh to ashes and mixed them into the seven golden objects thousands of years ago. Every. Single. One. _You_ were the one that drove me mad, not her. If anyone is to have ultimate power at the cost of their sacrifice, it should be me. Not you. She clung to me. Clung. No one has so much as hugged me since you killed my parents. I didn't hold her, she held me, only because she was frightened. I hope Ammet does more than just devour your heart for that, Pharaoh!"

He turned away; feeling the wave of rage subsided slightly. Blowing off steam had helped, but it still didn't solve the current problem. He'd have to fix the divider when he was calmer and not as weak. He expected the Pharaoh to deny everything he had just bellowed into his face. He was surprised.

Yami did not protest against his little speech, but only shook his head slowly, looking saddened.

"That at least hasn't changed. Despite what you say, or even how you deceive yourself, TombRobber, I will always know the truth. If you look deep, deep down into yourself, you will eventually discover that truth." Yami slowly got to his feet and walked away. He strode past the door, waving his hand in front of it, breaking the spell casted, and continued to stroll into the kitchen, leaving the Robber to his thoughts. Or more correctly, to his weariness.

T.R slumped down in the sofa, leaning back fully into the cushions, letting his eyes droop as he sluggishly reinforced the wall with a small bit of strength. He was drained of all energy, his body craved to rest. It was something he could not evade. He fell onto the cushions of the couch before he let himself slip entirely into the darkness of his mind, where sleep claimed him for the night.

Yami came back from the kitchen hours after the thief had fallen asleep, a cautious look in his eyes as he took out one of the blankets he had found hidden under the couch and draped one over the dozing teen, deciding he liked him better asleep, before retiring to the other navy couch, pulling one of the other blankets over his aching joins.

His words had hurt him, but he knew the Thief had been in far more mental pain than him over these years, for starters he had seen every single second of it, with all his memory, while he got to sleep. Though, Yami had wondered, whether it what was worse, having bad memories or not having any at all. He wasn't sure even now. The Robber's speech had wounded him emotionally, but it, in time, would scar like all the others. He felt guilty for the Thief, however, since it appeared he was still struggling with his wounds, even after all these centuries, the memory was still hot and burned and slashed at his insides. He was so use to the pain now that it had become a source of power, something he was familiar with and thought was normal of any person. If he had studied the minds of his former vessels, really watched, he would've seen how wrong he was, and how much help he really needed.

Yami placed his head on the armrest, facing toward the back of the couch, ignored his throbbing knees, curled as to not further hurt his legs, nor look as ridiculous at T.R did right now, by letting them hang over it. Instead he closed his eyes, and thought about how much Yugi had struggled with Tea, and how that had ended so miserably. He thought about how much it was his fault that she had loved him and not Yugi, how he had said no to her love. How hurt she was. How she had left. How Yugi had despaired and was left with a son he never saw or heard from, ever. And how Yugi never, even once, ever blamed him for what happened to Tea, even though most of it was his fault.

He felt tears wet his cheeks as he silently wept himself into a numbness inside himself, and understood he too had a wound that would never go away, and slowly drifted into a troubled slumber.

Book Dragon: "Please Review."


	19. Story

Chapter 19: Story

Kaede drifted in the mist, plummeting head over heels into nothingness, the smoky clouds gobbling her form instantly. She watched the wispy world tumble about her, alone, two large wings always darting out of sight, but completely useless as to saving her tensed body, being chained by the fear.

About half way to the bottom the gray veil opened, exposing a floor of never ending blackness. It was like the night sky tipped upside-down, a new moon, and not a star twinkling inside it. It was a sea of blackened ink, wavering and bubbling, ready to completely take her.

She flapped her wings in panicky beats, but never did they catch any air, and she was only jerked from side to side, staring as the pool stretched closer and closer to her face, until her brow became furrowed about two feet from hitting the liquid, when everything suddenly stopped. Blinking with confusion she slowly reached forward and dipped her index and middle finger into it, creating a ripple affect when she removed them, the darkness coating over them. She rubbed her thumb into her stained fingers, and found the substance very sticky, like hot tar.

As the ripple's continued something the sudden ear shuttering noise made her flinch, and fall side ways onto a hard gray surface with a loud thud. Splayed out she touched the hard surface, not hurt but dumbfounded, until she altered her stance of thinking. This, the solid gray surface, was the ground or floor. The sea of black ink, however was vertical, now, and somehow not spilling out onto the floor. It hung there like a giant wall. A giant stinky wall, like coated with a strange adhesive, she concluded, since she found it tough to separate her fingers after a couple of moments. She quickly wiped it off on her clothes as she rose off the ground, flexing her wings without realizing it as she slowly leaned closer, curiosity flickering through her mind.

She was aware that she was dreaming now. It was clear in a way that wasn't before. It was also clear that something about this was very wrong. She wondered, feeling an icy chill traveling up her spine, why she hadn't seen this earlier. Lightly, she pressed her hand against the surface, feeling it stick and smear underneath her palm.

A loud creak droned for several seconds, making her immediately lift her hand in surprise. Large columns of the goop stretched and drooped toward the floor, making whatever surface underneath slightly clink and groan. She started in puzzlement, ignoring the splattering drips smack against the floor.

After a few moments she bit her lip, and carefully reached into it, figuring the only way to understand it was to examine it. She drove both of her arms in, slowly at first, then quicker, until she was past her elbows and the front of her shirt was covered, half her face pressed into it, when finally her fingers meet something solid and flat. And warm, very warm.

Not burning hot, but warm like standing in the sun wearing all black for too long. She prodded it, stroked it, her curiosity nipping at her more violently. She took a large armful of the dark goo and dropped it onto the floor.

Clawing at it she removed large wads of it, getting spotted in some spots, to enthralled with the puzzle to care, until finally her fingers met a sharp line, which she followed under she found an open gaping trench in it. Slowly she dug around the ditch, until finally she could see the material was actually a fragile type of stone, thin, but with an inner layer or crystal. It was this crystal that kept making the odd clinking noises.

The trench, she found, was actually a large crack in the stone, jagged around the edges, the hole completely filled with the putty-like black stuff. She wondered whether or not if the space, if any, was only holding an ocean of putty, or if the putty was trying to seal up the opening.

The biggest part of the opening was a little larger than the size of a softball. Looking at her blackened hand she debated the risks and decided to do it. If anything went wrong, she could always cover it back up quickly again.

Carefully, Kaede stuffed her fist into the hole, ignoring the surrounding fluid surging and falling onto the floor. For a few moments she felt nothing but the sticky bubblegum like substance until finally she felt the stuff stretch back, and felt open air on her finger tips again. Wonderingly, she curled her hand around some of the stuff and brought it back through the drippy tunnel she had made, pulling her arm back with all her might, until finally the sucking noise ended in a pop.

The sudden blast of hot air made her recoil for a frightened moment, but after few seconds she turned her face back and caught the strong smell of dessert blossoms tickling her nose. Puzzled she emptied out more of the blackness and felt more of the odor wafting in, as she lowered her head and peered-

"It's time to wake up, sleepy head."

Kaede opened her eyes groggily, and found Javas staring at her, as expected. Half asleep she wasn't as edgy or nervous, but dazed and insensitive, and simply stared back at his smiling face with hooded eyes. When he said nothing she slowly rose from the bed, pushing herself up right with her arms, and stretched, sluggishly realizing she was still wearing her clothes from the day before and found she didn't care much.

"Tired last night?" Javas asked. Guess that hadn't gotten past him either.

"Hmm? Yeah, I guess so…" She yawned widely and rose off the bed, and extended her wings to loosen them up, ignoring the throbbing in her back as she stumbled out into the hall, her coat not longer dragging.

She looked at Yami sleeping on the sofa, sleeping not as soundly as the normal person, but not bad enough for her to wake him from his dream. Looking, at T.R however, made her worry.

His eyes were screwed together and his teeth were pressed together lightly, his hands clawing into the couch. He was definitely having one nasty nightmare. She frowned at him, struggling to wake up, as she wondered whether to wake him or not. He needed sleep, but this wasn't restful at all. She watched him for a few moments, the dream getting worse as he started to sweat and growl.

She felt Javas lean over the sofa next to her, looking confused at him. He was more surprised when T.R started to whimper, but did nothing to wake him. Kaede ignored Javas's behavior, not caring to much about what he thought for the first time, and reached out and stroked T.R's hair a bit.

"Shhhh…" She soothed, disregarding Javas's sudden look at her. The old spirit's strained face slowly relaxed to a blank one, nightmare shattered. She removed her hand and continued into the kitchen, grabbing the coffee maker and turning it on. She started to search for the coffee when the Kaiba entered the room and sat at the kitchen table, drumming his fingers on the table. When she glanced at him, she saw a look of confusion, and decided to ask about it when she was more awake.

When she finally found the coffee powder and made one steaming jug of it, she took out two mugs, two spoons, and placed one of each in front of him and across the table.

"I don't drink coffee." He told her matter-of-factly. She filled three-fourths of his mug with the blackened liquid anyway.

"If you put a lot of sugar in it, it'll taste great…" She mumbled as she poured her own. When she had enough she replaced the pot and sat down across the table from him, taking the large creamer and dumping a fourth of it in. Javas watched, a bit worriedly, as she took the sugar jar and took about twenty spoonfuls before she started to mix it all.

"I like my coffee sweet." She told him sleepily, but starting to wake up from the hot smell. Javas eyed his own drink warily, before giving in and taking the creamer.

"…So…" He started, putting a bit into his cup, "I've been thinking…"

"About what?"

"Well, I can't quite figure something out." He started, now moving to the sugar.

"What's that?" She asked, taking the first sip.

"I've noticed you two look a like…are you related?" She blinked her eyes tiredly and thought about his question. Javas stirred his drink and waited patiently for her answer.

"Hmm…I really don't know. 5029 years is a very long time…"

"Wait a minute. You think T.R comes from the time Yami 'claims' he comes from?"

"No, I'm saying they both _were_ alive during the same time period. They actually knew each other." Javas started at her.

"…You _believe_ Yami?" She nodded.

"Yes, I do. T.R told me, when we first met, that he was about 5029 years old, probably older. If he was about sixteen, when Yami was Pharaoh, in the year 5029, that would make him about 5045 years old, actually. Two teenagers in the same era when something big happened. Have you noticed how much T.R hates him?"

"I thought he hated everyone."

"So did I. Actually, he probably does. I've just noticed he despises Yami far more than anyone else. And I think it has to do with a grudge that has lasted that long." She said sorrowfully.

"What makes you think that?"

"…I can't say. It's just a gut feeling I have…" she said. Javas sipped his coffee, recoiled, and pushed the drink away.

"But what, if your theory is correct, could possibly make them hate each other?" Javas asked bluntly. He was being sarcastic, and forgetting who he was talking to. His failing to remember comforted her as she became more and more awake. For the first time in weeks, she felt she was talking to someone like her brother, instead of a sugar-coated lover-boy. It relaxed her.

"Well, T.R calls Yami 'Pharaoh'. About 5029 years ago, an ancient king was ruling, that's what Mr. Mutou said when I first asked him about it. I bet if you go on the internet you won't find that information, believe me, I've tried looking. But what that means, I'm not sure of. It could be nothing, a lie, or something incredibly huge that people have kept hidden for all these years." She sipped her mug a moment before continuing.

"Also, I have also heard T.R called a thief, a burglar, and most importantly a Tomb Robber. If T.R robbed tombs back in ancient Egypt, you can definitely believe any Pharaoh would be pissed and threatened. Remember the Egyptians wanted eternal life, and they believed you needed to preserve the body and give them things for the trip. Tomb Robbers would steal the riches and probably destroy the body, a.k.a, no everlasting life. Needless to say, T.R would have a price on his head, making him hate the Pharaoh… I think."

"You think. You're not even sure?"

"It's just my guess. You got any better?" Javas thought for a moment, jaw tight and scratching his head (what he usually did when he was thinking hard). What she was saying made some sense, he had to admit that, but in his mind it was just so much easier to concluded they were both nuts and be done with it. If he did that now, however, he'd have to say she was crazy.

He didn't like the thought of her being insane. This chat was opening his mind. She was not the pretty girl his eyes sought out far. She had a brain; she had made connections he couldn't have seen, which made her vigilant. Smart and crazy weren't two things that should be mixed, in his book. Despite himself, he decided to believe her, and liked her more by her persuasion.

"No, I don't actually. Your theory wouldn't be even a little credible if you had proof, but right now it's just guess work, speculation about impossible things. But I do believe what you say. Others will not. But you will at least have me."

He smirked and drummed his fingers on the table softer, more gently. Kaede watched his fingers warily, removing her arms from the table and sitting up right from her crouched position. He was trying to allure again, she could see it softening his eyes. She gripped her cup uneasily and recalled Christa's blissful nature when anyone stared at her like this.

Instead, she was terrified. She hadn't a clue what to do with a boy who acted this way. She knew what he wanted, but would never actually give it. In a way she couldn't explain, she wanted to say no but was too scared, like she didn't want to pass up the chance or something. She felt her palms dampen from her nervousness and almost had the cup slip from her hands if she hadn't caught it in mid-air.

"Am I making you nervous?" He asked her in a purring tone, proving he was just as watchful as her when it came to certain things. She quivered slightly and struggled to swallow. She needed to escape, desperately, but found herself nodding slowly.

"You know, most people are nervous around people they're attracted to…I'm very nervous right now…"

She started at him worriedly, now having her phobia reinforced, her suspicions proven true. She would have loved to just die, right now. Just flop back in her chair and be dead so she didn't have to talk, or say anything to invite him to come at her. She watched him lean closer, elbows on the table as he cupped his face with his hands, staring right into her eyes.

"You know, its okay to be nervous, I don't mind. I actually think it's cute." Kaede felt her whole body tense up, her brain going dead. He was getting too close. Far too close. She felt her hands shake and wished that, some one, anyone, would make this situation just go away, as she watched him lean closer to her across the table.

Her wish was granted.

The door opened unexpectedly, making Javas shoot back across the table into his chair, like someone trying not to get caught doing something they weren't suppose to, his face white. When he saw it was only Yami, he sighed in relieve and muttered things under her breath. Yami looked at Javas, then Kaede, then at Javas again and finally stopped by closing his eyes.

"Hmm." Was the only sound he made, breaking the silent moment hanging in the air. Javas waited patiently, knowing full well Yami would leave and he could go back to his business. He began to get angry when Yami didn't move or do anything for the next few moments.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Javas finally asked as sweetly as he could between gritted teeth. Yami opened his eyes at his question and stared at him a moment, just a stare he couldn't piece together, and then directed his attention to Kaede.

"No, Javas. But you can." Kaede blinked. Yami didn't give her time to wonder about it.

"Meet me in the family room in an hour. I suggest you get changed…maybe take a shower to water your wings, and it would be a good idea to cut some holes in your shirt for them too, you can always get some more. Go on now."

Kaede got up and left the room in tiny jerks. Yami watched her placidly as she left the room. When her foot steps were completely faded he turned his cool stare back at Javas for a moment, before taking her seat and folding his hands on the table. Javas started at him wonderingly, trying to figure out if he was angry or waiting for him to ask something. After a few long moments, Yami removed his hands from the table and fished around in his shirt pocket. Javas titled his head to one side, a look of complete bafflement spreading across his face.

Finally the grown man found what he had been looking for, a small white piece of paper. He turned it over and put it on the table, a photograph, and tapped on it. Before Javas knew what he was going, he leaned forward and examined it.

There were a group of people, of kids, all about his age, huddled in the snapshot, all grinning happily. Seven teens, all wearing bathing suits, three brunettes, one white-haired, two tri colored, and one blonde.

He stared wide-eyed at the two black, red, and blonde haired boys, standing in the front, one slightly taller than the over, arms hung over each other's necks, the short one beaming and holding out a peace sign. A tall brown haired girl with short cut hair smiled just as widely, also holding out the same sign. She stood next to a boy with brown hair and the boy with blonde, both hanging off of each other making rabbit ears behind the boys in front, wearing sly grins.

Next to them, to the right, the white haired boy with pale skin smiled calmly at him, holding another brown haired girl lightly by the shoulder. She was smiling too, her arm holding onto the boy around the waist casually. Javas could tell they were a couple. He also could see Kaede's eyes staring back at him from the picture, from the brown long-haired girl.

"That," Yami said, interrupting Javas's buzzing thoughts as he tapped on the shorter tri-colored hair boy, "is Yugi Mutou at the age of sixteen. The boy next to him has only had a body to himself for about two weeks. You will see his face in your father's data base. His face will be the one you will see that defeated Seto Kaiba. But that was before, when both boys were sharing a body. When we were both Yugi Mutou, thinking and doing as one. That is why, there are two puzzles in this picture, when in there should only be one. Do you know why there are now two?"

Javas just stared at him, dumbfounded, and unable to speak.

"That is because; I still cannot exist without the puzzle and a vessel to dwell in. The body I have right now, is only a tool this girl," he pointed to the girl with Kaede's eyes, "made for me; she did the same for this boy," pointing at the white-haired kid, wearing the ring Kaede always did.

"I still need a living person to be directly connected with to live. That white haired boy's name is Bakura, and he too had a spirit in his object, a spirit that had dark intentions. He was freed from being controlled by that girl, and he could enjoy a normal life, for a time. That girl's name was Ryelle. Now, Bakura's spirit was still alive since he was. Ryelle refused to destroy him, so she made him a servant, to do as his family asked and protected them with a magic that was given to her by the earth when she was brought here. That magic is now hereditary. Weaved into her blood. When one of her descendents has what it ever it is that is needed for the magic to bloom, will be pasted to him or her when she would die. This in turn would happen to her successor, the gift being pasted down to one person after another, until that blood line completely stops. When that gift stops, then everything that magic has made will be broken, including the body I have now, and the imprisonment of Bakura's spirit."

Yami stopped a moment, letting all the information seep into the youth's head before continuing his explanation.

"Now, these seven friends, they do what all children do. They grew up. They also went their separate ways, to a point. Bakura and Ryelle married when they were old enough. They had three children. A son and two daughters. The first son and daughter weren't suitable for the magic to thrive in. The youngest daughter, however, was different, and so, that gift was hers to take fully. The two boys in front took on their grandfather's shop when he died. Yugi married the girl with the shortest hair, Tea, and had one son. A son he never sees. The brown haired boy, Tristan, moved out west when he was old enough and got a job as a body guard from some celebratory. The blonde, his name was Joey; he decided to tour the world, deciding to get strong in his dueling skills by dueling around that world. He made money doing all sorts of things and when he had enough quit and moved on. He married an other duelist, her name was Mai, and now they travel together, both wanders. Now, Joey, he had a little sister, her name was Serenity. She was beautiful, and the best sister a guy could have. She grew up and married a rich business man, and had a child of her own. Her husband however, hated her brother, as Joey hated him. That was what partly made Joey travel. And these friends didn't see each other for a very long time.

'During that time, Ryelle had to separate from Bakura, since they didn't want to corrupt their children. Bakura's other spirit had already started talking to the boy, telling him things that also got him into trouble. She left Bakura before their last child was born. And he never got to see his last daughter. He was doomed by his darker half again, and lived sorrowfully on one hope. That when his children got old enough not to follow temptation, that they would return and he could live his life again with his family. He never got his wish.

'His wife died when their youngest was eight. He couldn't even attend the funeral. In Ryelle's Will, it was said to leave the children with her sister, until the youngest was at least thirteen, then they could go back to their father. No one questioned it. So the five years past, until the girl turned thirteen, when they moved back into the city and meet their father. He rejoiced for the first time in a decade, and set down rules for his dark spirit to follow, the thoughts of ways that he could have protected his children had consumed him since his wife had left, so he was ready when his children arrived. The only thing he hadn't thought of was the magic given to his daughter. Being the holder of the Millennium Ring, he had some powers, so he tried everyday to suppress the major sources of her power. It drained him of strength and made him tired often. He asked the taller tri-colored haired boy, me, for help a lot. He could only do so much. Still, there was one thing the girl could not be concealed from was her talent of speech, to speak with the plants. She had that small gift her whole life.

'Now one day, she stumbled upon the ring and wore it. She was also had the gift of being able to be a vessel for the ring, and pasted the test. The father was freed of his prison, only to have his daughter unknowingly take it. After that, some way of another she and the spirit left the house, for reasons I have no knowledge of, but, I am very certain that they meet with Serenity's son, who offered them a haven.

'Around this period, the girl's father was worrying to death about his daughter. He went to the closest of his best friends, but found enemies waiting for him where he would have usually found help. When both of the boys found out, we immediately called for help. And so, right now, the friends are coming back, one-by-one, to find both the daughter and father."

Yami rose from his chair, using the table to help him up, and looked down at the stunned child, leaving the photo for him to inspect, knowing full well he would when he left the room. He strode over to the door, opened it, and paused a moment.

"And if you're wondering, you do get your hair from the blonde in the photo. And your short-temper."

He closed the door behind him.

Book Dragon: "Please Review"


	20. Adversary

Chapter 20: Adversary

Kaede showered and dressed. She found Yami's advise to be useful, but it was annoying trying to figure out how to move just her wings into the holes. It was difficult since she couldn't just reach back and shove them in, for one she couldn't see her back well in the mirror. It took at least twenty minutes just to get the first one through. The second came easier when she figured out what to do.

She wore the black t-shirt and blue jeans and the trench coat over the branches, feeling better because with them out of sight. She felt less like a freak. She felt sad and insecure, more like an outsider than a no body. She had been a lone wolf in school, but now it was an extreme.

She met Yami out in the family room, a sorrowful look in her face. She glanced at T.R, who was in a very deep sleep, but no longer disturbed. Actually, his face was very blank, and she could see him sweating lightly. She still found herself wondering what his vacant expression meant, puzzling about what he could be thinking about. What ever his dream was about, he didn't look terrified, and that was good enough for her right now.

Yami stood in the middle of the room, his sleeves rolled up and his arms crossed in front of him, his features patient and calm, but his lips curled into a grin when she entered the room, and he motioned for her to come closer. She hesitated for a moment, and walked in front of him, looking at him puzzled.

"Okay, now take off the coat." He ordered gently. Kaede stared at him for a moment, before regretfully taking off the coat, doing as she was told, exposing the wings and ripped holes around them, feeling strange in a bad way.

He gave her an approving look as she put her coat down and fanned out her wings a bit, making the leaves flutter, and the look of a misplaced teen deepen in his mind. He clapped his hands together suddenly, rubbed them against one another, looking like a man about to get to work, before putting them at his sides a moment.

"Now, if you're wondering why I've asked you to meet me here, I have decided to teach you some magic. I think if you learn some, you maybe able to figure out a way for you to make the wings back into whatever they were before, if that _is_ what you want because the wings are natural…" Kaede gave him a look.

"Okay then. Hold out your hands." She did so reluctantly, feeling foolish already. Yami also held out his hands.

"Alright. Now, we're going to do something simple…ah… we're…going to move…that." He pointed to the remote at one side of the table.

"Over there." He finished, now pointing to the other end. "With magic…now, concentrate on the remote, think about where you want it to go… if it helps close your eyes…think…" Kaede closed her eyes, feeling her face start to heat from embarrassment. She thought about the remote, thought about what it looked like, and it sliding across the table to the other end. She furrowed her brow, thinking really hard, muttering now, unaware of doing so. Nothing happened for the longest time, making her feel more and more ridiculous. Finally, she opened one eye for a peek and instead had open eyes open wide a second later.

The coffee table had one large vine sprouting up out of the floor, wrapped around one of the legs, stretching all the way across the table, curled around the remote. Yami started at the vine uncertainly before meeting her gaze.

"That wasn't what I was expecting…but it worked. Congratulations. Now let's try moving that…"

For two hours Yami had Kaede moving things around the room. From objects as light as a picture, to as heavy as the entire bookcase she made things go from one place to the other. Sadly, despite how much she concentrated, she couldn't keep the plants from growing or doing what she thought of. She found when she didn't mutter nothing at all happened. Pretty soon the whole room was covered in vines, and Yami was having trouble not getting entangled in them. But she was at least doing the task. It was better than not being able to do it at all…right?

"Okay, this is good. You've basically got lesson one down. Let's try something a little different…I want you to move from there to here without using your legs and arms."

Javas ignored the things crashing in the family room. He didn't even smile when Yami started yelling stop in a loud voice. He was too busy trying to figure out why, if any of this stuff was true, which was a huge if, why his mother didn't tell him any of it.

For some reason, his parents didn't talk much about their families. Javas had learned at a young age not to even go near it, not to mention ask about it. He could understand if his father didn't what him to know about an uncle, or any of this 'magical' junk Yami was preaching about, but if she actually had a brother that was friends with these psychos, she'd still stand by him. Mother was loyal like that. She was always very true to family. That's why Javas always thought his mother was an only child. All though, he had never really questioned his mother's family tree before. I mean, he did have at least one Uncle on his father's side and a Grandmother to visit on mother's side. That had always been enough. Or at least he had thought so.

Now he realized he always use to wonder why he had blonde hair when no one else in the family did. He had assumed that since his father had been adopted that maybe on of his uncles or grandfathers had blonde hair. Looking at the photo in front of him now, he saw clearly the resemblance between himself and the boy. He saw now that their hair actually flopped in the same way, and he even had that smirk Javas always saw in the mirror every morning when he checked his reflection.

Stroking back his locks every few seconds, he let his icy blue orbs study the snapshot with a wondering gaze, trying hard to put the puzzle pieces in place that Yami had outlined so bluntly, curiously making the figures in his mind.

Could it be that his father hated this boy _that_ much? Could his mother love him so much as to not see her only brother? Or could it be that his mother disliked her own brother?

The questions reeled on and on.

The drone of the car engine was very faint in the limo's cabin. The stretch seat was occupied by three men, one of which was fidgeting, while the other two men sat still. One of the pair was use to it while the other was concentrating deeply, holding the golden object in clenched hands.

Kaiba tried to take no notice of Yugi by pretending to be more interested by what was outside. Even though the CEO would never admit it, he was getting a little unnerved by the silence and stillness by the other man. His feelings worsened when he could see a bright twinkling coming from the object in the corner of his eye.

His whole life he had dismissed the belief in magic, even when Isis had told him he was an ancient priest around 5000 years ago. He even had himself thinking he was dreaming when he saw it for himself for a while. Now, he knew better. Now, he went along with it, since he was worried enough to try anything to find his son. Even trust his enemy Yugi, not to mention deal with Joey.

"Have you got a hold of him yet, Yug?" The biker asked, shifting in his seat uncomfortably for the fortieth time in the last two minutes. Kaede held in a sigh of annoyance as he waited for Yugi's reply.

"…No…his mind is preoccupied with something. I'm not getting through to him." Yugi sighed, opening his eyes.

"Have any idea what he's thinking about? It could lead us to where they might be." Joey suggested. Yugi shut his eyes again and thought. Soon his forehead wrinkled. The puzzle around his neck brightened until it was like looking into a 60 watt light bulb. Kaiba casted a slightly worried look in direction of the driver, but said nothing. If he asked the business man would probably tell him it was nothing and give him a larger tip than normal. Yugi then took a deep breath as he opened his eyes again, letting go of the puzzle and holding his head with one sweaty hand.

"Nothing we can use," Yugi replied sadly, "But whatever he's doing must be really important. His whole mind is fixed on a single point." Kaiba shifted in his seat for the first time in a half-hour, hiding his apprehension for his son behind an icy stare.

"Do you know what it is?" Joey asked.

"I'm not sure," Yugi said uncertainly, a look of confusion on his face.

"I think he's trying to figure out how to use super glue…"

Kaiba and Joey just stared at him.

The once King of Thieves struggled inside his uncertain dream. He was sure it wasn't a nightmare, but neither was it a good dream, since it had nothing to do with killing Yami at all and ruling the world.

Instead, he found himself standing ankle deep in cool greenish blue water, staring across a plain of blue carpet, completely covered in twinkling stars, surging back and forth against itself. The feeling of sand between his toes was the most familiar, and comfortable, thing that was here. He found the rubbery green strands swirling around his feet annoying as a large amount of white bubbling water threw itself up against the sand, like trying to escape the giant pit it was stuck in. The wind was strapping; blowing the black shorts he was wearing about playfully as well as messing with his white locks. It also had the distinct taste of salt as well as a bit of sand. The sun was warm on his face, not burning, but warm, soothing.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He turned to the source of the voice and wasn't surprised to see Kaede staring at him, a smile on her shaded face by the large black cowboy hat. She was wearing a blue bathing suit. It was a whole piece, thank Ra, but it still showed her shape and exposed her perfect legs. She wore the ring around her neck, the circle lying on her stomach as the chord passed over her bust and rounded her pale neck.

He forced his eyes to stare at the sand.

"Yes." He answered her, listening to the arrows of the ring clink together as she turned and faced the open water, admiring the view, or so he assumed. He felt himself tense up when she placed her arm around his back and hooked her hand into his pocket and leaned against him. He felt her hair, silky and smooth, on his arm as she rested her head on him, the hat suddenly gone, and her bare skin warming his. He listened to her sigh in relief and held onto his arm lightly, stroking him.

"Isn't it surprising how much alike and different the beach and the dessert are? Both have sand, sun, death, and beauty. And yet, one is teaming with life and water, while the other is left bare, with only spots of life. As I said, alike and different, strange to one another."

"Yes." He agreed uncertainly, his jaw tight and closing quickly. He resisted the urge to move hand from his side to stroke her hair and felt Goosebumps breakout over him as her breath tickled him. She was silent for awhile after that, listening to the squawk of a sea bird, comfortable in the warm wind. He started to quiver as she leaned more onto him.

"You know, it's alright." She said to him in a quiet voice, holding him lightly.

"What's alright?" He asked her numbly, having difficultly speaking from how strongly he started to shake.

"What I mean is it is okay to feel that way. I know you want me."

He woke up.

T.R jerked awake, breathing heavily with sweat sliding down his face, wide-eyed and shivering. At first he wasn't quite sure he remembered where he was and nearly screamed before he recognized the cream colored ceiling of the family room. What he didn't seem to remember was the whole room being covered in vegetation.

Surprised he lunged upright, still quivering slightly as he looked around the room worriedly. When he found his legs completely covered in vines he kicked them off and planted his feet on the floor as he held his head in his hands a moment, trying desperately to wake up. He did hear two distinct voices after about an eternity of staring at the darkness cupped in his hands.

"No, no. You have to make a hole in the nozzle so the glue can come out first _before_ you try to apply it. I can't believe you've never had to use this stuff before…"

"I don't see anything sharp in this kit to make a hole with. And I've never broken anything that needed to be fixed permanently."

"Did you look on the cap?"

"Why would they put something like that on- Oh. There it is."

"Okay now just put some on this edge and I'll press them together."

"Like this?"

"No you still have to make a hole!"

"Oh. Okay. There. Now like this?"

"Yes. Just make sure you don't get any on your hands."

"…and why shouldn't I?"

"Well, for one you'll get your hands stuck together or on other things."

"Can't I just wash it off?"

"Well, you can after about two weeks when the stuff dries and you don't rip off a ton of skin."

"Ummm…"

"Let me guess. You got glue on your hands."

"Ahh…yes."

"Okay, just don't touch anything."

"Too late. I'm touching the bottle."

"Well, is it stuck to you?"

"Ummm…"

"Oh great." T.R finally removed his hands from his face and looked up curiously. Kaede was holding two large jagged pieces of a curved object, painted with many designs on one side while the other, the inside, was completely blank. She was staring up at Yami with a look of annoyance as the Pharaoh was looking down at his hands worriedly, one with a large bottle. T.R read the words SUPER GLUE on the side of the container.

Between the two of them, he could also see many more random sized pieces completely still on the floor. He watched the man turn his hands over and release the bottle, only to find that gravity no longer had any affect on it. It stayed, firmly fixed to the inside of his hand. Yami frowned as Kaede sighed.

"Well that's a yes." She replied tiredly, answering her own question.

"Is there anything I can do?" Yami asked her carefully, trying not to let the worry brimming behind his features get to him.

"You could do two things. One, you could wait for it to harden and carry around a glue bottle in your hand for about two weeks. Or two, you could try washing it off with some really hot water. Personally, I'd try two before going with one."

"That or you could remove it with some magic." The old king said suggestively, "I don't think I'll get it off with hot water, and having this stuck to me will prove annoying. I trust you enough to remove this without too much pain. Care to try it?" Kaede bit her lip nervously, thinking rapidly. T.R could hear some of these thoughts whispering in his ears, making him jump a bit in shock.

_Technically, I could do this. I could do anything. But what if I hurt him? I have no idea how I'm going to remove this. If I try to just wish it off all sorts of plants might grow in under the skin and push up. But that would be painful. Maybe they could wedge in between some how? No, that would hurt too. Suppose I just take a specific plant, like one that has pain killers in it wedge in between his hand and the bottle, the plant could ooze a little bit of juices while it took off the bottle? Or maybe…_

The thoughts buzzed and droned inside his skull, like her voice was echoing off the sides of his mind. For a dumbfounded moment, all he could do was listen to the soft voice, not sure how this was happening. Then his eyes lit up, and a single thought bounced only on his side of thinking, his own thought. _The Wall_.

"Maybe we should just read the directions on the side of that bottle to see how to get it off…you can still read the warning part right?"

"Hm. Actually yes."

"What's it say?"

"Incase of skin bondage use large amounts of soap and warm water on infected area for fifteen minutes…imagine that." T.R stood up suddenly, making Kaede and Yami jump, clearly not expecting him. It only took a glance at his face for her to realize something was wrong. His features looked pale and stretched, like a man being haunted.

"Good morning, you okay?"

"No." The robber answered, briskly walking off into Javas's room. Yami studied silently as the girl frowned and wordlessly followed him.

"Is there something I can do to help?" She asked him cautiously.

"No. Just _stay away from me_." He growled viciously, slamming the bathroom door behind him hard. Kaede reentered the room with a slightly annoyed expression. Yami stared plainly at her, hiding the smile lurking just inches beneath the surface and obliged when she told him to wash his hands in her room, knowing full well she'd go back. He let himself chuckle at his reflection in the mirror when suddenly a familiar voice lightly brushed over his thoughts.

_"Yami are you there!"_

_"Yugi?" _He felt a sense of relief wash over a distant part of him; his aibou.

_"Do you know how long I've been trying to reach you? I called Joey when you didn't come back. We also went to Kaiba and know where looking for you. Kaiba is furious. Where are you?"_

_"According to his son, we're at one of his safe havens. I've found Kaede."_

_"We already know, Kaiba's got the whole city wired looking for you guys. Are both of them alright?"_

_"They're fine. I don't know about the TombRobber, however."_

_"Why is that?"_ Yami just laughed.

_"You'd have to see it to believe it…"_

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?" Kaede asked through the door. Again she wasn't surprised when she was answered by an angry roar of no. She knew she should have just dropped it and to go check if Yami had gotten all of it off yet, but still she lingered, her mind wondering what was wrong and if it had to do with how funny she had felt all morning.

Whether it was not eating anything for several hours due to lack of appetite or just something she didn't know about, she tried and failed to figure out what felt so different today. Maybe she felt that they shared something in common, maybe the same thing was bugging both of them.

A loud pinging noise suddenly interrupted her thoughts. Confused she left the door and entered the family room, puzzling about the source of the noise until it bleeped again and she heard a single chair in the kitchen shuffle.

"What is that?" She asked loudly, letting her voice carry through the wall.

"The door bell. Could you get that?" she heard muffled. She should her head and sighed before she closed her eyes and muttered lightly. The plants in the room quickly retreated back into nothingness, leaving the room spotless, except for a couple of broken vases. She smiled at her handy work, glad that this was so easy, as she briskly scooped up her coat and shoved it on.

She felt better now, not so much like a freak. She felt like she had a gift and that was all, like how some kids are good at certain things. This time she had spent with Yami had made her see that it was just a talent, something she could get good at, and use for good things. So the wings were a bit of a set back, so what? She could still coax plants into growth, create large plantations, feed the hungry?

She wanted to laugh at herself as she opened the door.

T.R was at the wall in mere moments, filling in the hole as fast as he could with the darkness, moving as fast as he could. He needed to end the noise, the whisperings; they were already getting to him. He could already feel her mind, a soft bubble of light compared to his own. Good and innocent. Of course she had a few rough edges, the ability to be annoying, but nice on the inside.

She was just like her parents.

He grabbed a fist full of black and shoved it mercilessly into the crack, completely furious, trying to lock out her distinct smell as best he could, feeling dizzy because of it. It would be just how he thought. She'd hate him, hate him for everything he'd ever done to anyone and want him dead. Everyone did. And how sure he had never cared when it actually hurt to think that she would. She trusted him. She trusted him so quickly, without much question, it was frightening. She teased him, helped him, and even dared to kick him once. Even though she didn't know it, she had fed him and sheltered him. Talked to him even now. To her he was family.

He removed his peering eyes from the hole and feel back into the sandy dessert scene of his mind, hating himself more and more for the lack of his control. He was slipping away, and he couldn't do that, he had to go through with the plan. He needed to quench the undeniable thirst of his own mind before all others. All others.

He was about to fill in the last dripping opening when a scream bellowed through the very hole. For a frightening moment he had thought she had come across him in her thoughts. When a second shout slammed into the barrier he found himself skidding away from it, the sudden urge to go to her bellowing into his mind in a long shaky green vine.

A moment later he found his hand clasped around the door and bashing it wide open, running out faster than lightning to the source of now crashing and male roaring. His mind was reeling as he came through the second door into the family room. Instantly he was grabbed from the side and jerked away from the door by two powerful arms.

Without thinking about it he bit into the arm of his captive and immediately wriggled out of the hold, only to bash his fist over the purple cloaked figure, clenching his arm for a moment before falling to the ground. Looking from his attacker he focused on the chaos at hand, and found himself not surprised.

The whole room was covered in vines again, except each was covered in billions of three-inch thorns, making the room look like a needle stack. He could see faintly see the shape of the couches and table covered in blankets of jungle forestry, and could feel the dull pain around his ankles from the barbs and ignored them as his eyes immediately focused on the target.

A lavender cloaked figure, back faced to him, hood up with the Egyptian eye, was being tugged from side to side violently. As the figure turned to him, T.R watched a foot fly out, rapped in the thorns kick hard into the form. When the figure faced him fully he could see the young Ryou gripping onto her captors arm tightly, trying to hold herself up as not to be choked by a powerful sleeved arm crushing down on her throat. He could see her red face and her teeth gritted in pain as she kicked and struggled in his grasp, spiked plants growing out of the fight. They weren't doing any damage to the form.

Tightly clasped in one pale fist T.R could see the Millennium Rod in the fist of her attacker, glowing as bright as the sun, a sphere of the same light glowing around the caped figure, deflecting any thorns. T.R clenched his own teeth. Not in pain but against the immense anger suddenly surging through him. It took a great deal of control to keep his feet firmly planted as he listened to the stranger laugh out.

"Don't come any closer," the stranger warned, his voice the product of two voices twisted together, "Or I'll hurt her."

"Let her go!" A dark voice commanded angrily. T.R glanced and found Yami standing in the mess of plants, his hands still dripping, and the puzzle around his neck burning with an intense light. His expression could simply be described in two words: pissed off. The figure laughed at him instead.

"Let her go? That would be incredibly stupid."

"It's incredibly stupid just to be standing there. Chatting away; wasting time." T.R glanced at Javas agitatedly, ignoring the bark in his voice. He stood in the kitchen door way, fists clenched and the veins in his neck bulging, his eyes frosty enough to cast the whole ocean in ice. He would've loved to just shove the little fool back into the room right now. He did turn out to be useful, though. He was redirecting his anger in more than one direction, helping him keep his cool.

"No child, my actions are not idiotic. I have a few spare minutes before those other three fools arrive, and I wish to enjoy them immensely."

"What do you want with her?" Yami asked darkly, his eyes sparked. The shape laughed again, and tightened his hold on Kaede, making her slow her actions and concentrate on holding herself up. Typical, she uses all her energy in the first few moments. T.R cursed to himself, knowing he really should have taught her to fight.

"What I want with her? Isn't it obvious? Fill him in TombRobber; tell him what you wanted when you kidnapped her mother all those years ago." He started to laugh as the Thief growled under his breath. He avoided Kaede shocked and hurt eyes to stare at the floor, making the scornful chuckles deepen.

"What's a matter Burglar? Was that a little too much information of this little girl's ears?"

"Damn you." He snarled at the attacker, making him laugh harder.

"But to answer your question, Pharaoh, I want what every man wants. Power. And I will do anything to get it."

"Well, that's got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard anyone say." Javas grumbled, cutting the laughter dead.

"Shut up." The foe snarled.

"Did he hit a swore spot?" T.R queried mockingly.

"You would know, being the same sort of man I am."

"Who are you!" Yami demanded fiercely, the puzzle shinning vividly. The shape swayed gently, cape flapping toward the door.

"I would love to tell you, Pharaoh. It would blow your mind, but here and now is not the right time. In fact, I must be going; your friends have nearly arrived. It was nice talking to you." He raised the Rod up slowly in there direction, the object gathering more and more golden rays around it.

"Oh and if you're wise, you won't try anything stupid since it will only be her who gets hurt. Normally, I'd let you attack, but I need her unharmed. Good-bye Pharaoh. TombRobber. Kaiba-Child." He chuckled as he took the sharp- knife like edge of the object and slashed open air. A loud tarring sound pierced their ears as a large black line formed and stretched out larger into an opening large enough to accommodate him and his prize.

"I will see you all soon." His voice mocked forebodingly. In an instant, T.R found himself gliding up at the stranger faster than he had thought he ever could.

"No don't!" Yami's voice yelled loudly, but it was already too late. Shouting T.R leap up over the form of the coffee table, in his hand the flashing red object housing a glowing black blade was curled into his fingers. The Thief easily slashed open the glowing barrier, his own Millennium Ring swinging radiantly under his own shirt as he reached for the stranger, his fingers inches away from his throat, when something jarred his bones. Shuttering violently, splayed in mid-air, the once King of Thieves watched in horror as the stranger's hand rose up and lightly tapped him. Instantly the Robber was taken by a phantom hand and thrown viciously back more rapidly than a shot, away from him and slammed straight into the wall, his body creating a huge dent before flopping to the ground, uselessly, the attacker's laughter ringing horribly in his ears.

"Oops. I lied." The outsider replied, just before he slipped into the hole, he waved his hand at the other man, turning the body into wisps of black smoke before he completely submerged into the darkness, dragging Kaede's frightened face into it. Then as suddenly as the hole appeared, it writhed into nothingness. Javas lurched forward just as the hole closed, growling swears as he waded through the spikes, his expression angry.

"Why the hell did we do nothing!" Javas queried agitatedly at Yami, who was looking at area where the hole had been regretfully.

"We would've hurt her. We had no choice." The Pharaoh replied mournfully, before striding over to the fallen Tomb Raider, a look of worry on his face.

"Are you alright?" He asked. He listened to the thief groan and gazed at him pathetically try to lift himself up. Yami attempted to pull him to his feet, until he was shaken off by a large buzz of ancient magic. T.R lifted his head sluggishly and glared at Yami.

"Don't touch me! I don't need your help." Snarled the thief in a hoarse voice, shaking as he tried in vain to get up. Javas rolled his eyes at him, but Yami smiled.

"Well, at least we know his pride hasn't been wounded. Come on, help me lift him."

"I said DON'T TOUCH ME!"

"Just leave him! We'll find her faster without his help." Javas growled angrily. Yami took the Robber by the armpits and repelled the Ring's magic with his own. The white-haired teen glared helplessly as the Pharaoh raised him to his feet, and kept him standing.

"No, we wouldn't," Yami replied to Javas's comment, "He is the key to finding her."

"WHY! Why is he so important?"

"He is important because he is the one that has a direct link to her mind. The Ring connects them. She may not know that, but he does. She is not only his master but his vessel. If anyone can find her, it will be him." Javas looked at him, stunned.

"…So you're telling me that, him and her, are connected."

"Mentally, yes."

"Then what are we waiting for! Let's go after them!" Javas started to run for the front door when Yami's hand reached out and grabbed him.

"No not yet. To run in without a plan would be foolish. Your father and my friends are coming here. I suggest we wait for them to arrive and fill them in. It would also be wise to go back to the Ryou house and see if both there children are still alright."

"They're not." TombRobber said in a slight rasp. Yami gave him a curious look.

"They're not? How do you know?"

"Because," The thief retorted through gritted teeth, every nerve in his body still aflame, "I know that magic when I feel it. It was not the magic from the Rod. No, this was a punishment for trying to attack a master."

"What are you saying? Kaede used her magic to keep you from saving her?" Javas asked skeptically. The Robber shook his head slowly.

"No, I'm saying that our enemy is apart of the family."

Book Dragon: "Please Review!"


	21. Javas's Choice

Chapter 21: Javas's Choice

The spiraling world of complete and utter darkness morphed in her dizzied vision. Her body now limp she could only watch her surroundings shed the veil of blackness to expose a large sunlight room. At first she was blinded by the intense light and turned from it, her eyes watering. She listened to the distorted chuckling with an empathic look consuming her face as her eyes adjusted. Slowly the golden ray curtains pulled back and exposed their own secrets, basically a large room.

The room had a high ceiling, but even with it she could see the large brown trunk of an immense tree taking up most of the floor, its canopy so huge it had broken through the roof and let in some spots of light where the leaves parted. The large windows on the walls were the major source of the light, clear with white light. The floor was a wooden one, with large bumps of ingrown roots clawing through the panels, where there was no large shelf case that was, and many were scattered about and around the base of the immense tree. The floor was covered in small sphere like objects, varying in green, yellow, and red colors. Dully looking at them, Kaede recognized them as apples. Tilting her head slowly up she ignored her swore neck and saw the same round fruits hanging cheerful from the branches, one dropping every few minutes.

Sleepily she wondered how this could be possible. She had seen trees grow through buildings, but never one so precisely placed in the center, unless centered for the building. Where they in a museum? Could they be in a museum? She had never heard of an exhibit like this one and knew she would've at least from the school. She would've been the first one there on the opening day. No, this had to be newly and secretly constructed. A surprise display?

In the thick mist of grogginess she heard a piercing voice brush over her thoughts, making the struggle to awake for more important. A familiar vocal sounds were coursing through her mind, the ones that had kept her awake for weeks, the ones she had searched for so desperately for many summer hours. They were the quiet speech of the great tree.

She battled the muzzy coating covering her conscious mind, the voice a huge tool against the barrier, but not sharp enough to cut it open. Shortly after she gave up for the time being, letting the whispering lull over her, staring at a faded blue couch, covered with large pink flowers, nestled upright on one large branch, making her puzzle at with hooded eyes.

"Welcome young Ryou," a twisted voice buzzed in her ear. She felt the warm surface against her back vibrate, matching the sounds produced. She realized dozily that the warm surface holding her was actually a body, a man. She was too sleepy to fully understand what that meant. Nor did she put much thought into what a young Ryou could be.

"By your calm mood, I can conclude your reaction of your first trip through the shadow realm wasn't powerful enough to rip apart my spell. Good. That is very good…" Kaede watched placidly at the stranger's feet, striding forward with complete ease, kicking the purple cloak up and letting it flutter down, over and over again. She also studied two pale arms sticking outward, ten peach colored fingers clasped loosely around the purple clothed arm hugging under her chin. It took several long seconds for her to realize they were her own arms and fingers and even then the indifference wrapped around her was too tight for panic.

Sudden a bounce was added to the strides and a loud cheerful voice emanated tunefully, making the girl wince at the thick layer of pain booming in her ears for a brief moment.

"Ah! Mr. Ryou! Look at what I brought you!" Kaede rolled her half closed eyes up in the direction of a sudden scuffling moment. Behind a large golden flickering bar, a haggard white-haired man stared back at her, a look of complete anguish engulfed every inch of his face, his knees buckled and his arms swayed slightly, and his brown eyes wide.

"…No…" His voice quivered in response, "Not her, too." Kaede listened to a deep laughter.

"Yes oh yes, her too Mr. Ryou! But don't look so hurt; think of her as…temporary company. But do not worry, you can still talk for a while at least, about how nicely she has grown, for example… look at what she can do!" She didn't even flinch as a hand grabbed her calf. In a swirl of motion she watched the world slip upside down and felt her hands hit the floor lifelessly. The tight pain bit back the shroud a few inches.

"Look at these vines! I've never seen anything like this growing anywhere! Have you? I think they're something to admire… I like the thorns, a wonderful touch wouldn't you say?"

"Put her down!" Bakura yelled helplessly, noting how much his grip was swaying. The figure sniggered playfully and let the momentum of his swing, making the father's anxiety grow.

"Put her down?" He asked after a few hanging moments. "Okay Mr. Ryou, as you wish!" The shape flung his hand wide and let the girl drop head first into the floor. Or that's would've happened if the vines about her legs hadn't lurched out and spread onto the floor over her head, leaving her legs, creating supports that held her weight and saved her from a dented in skull. After a few moments the plant righted her with care, caressing her with the parts of the vine that were not spike covered. It created a make shift sleeping bag about her, right in front of the captor, the thorns grown to a foot long now, pointing at him. Slowly her attacker stepped back, a laugh lightly coating his unseen lips.

"Impressive. Even the plants care for her. This will be more challenging than I thought… oh and don't worry. If you think those plants will get her out of this room, think again. Like all plants they can't move unless it is suggested to them, but protecting itself and its own is simply instinct. And it can only go so far, wouldn't you say?" Bakura was silent, and watched the figure with a look of sorrow as he walked out of the room, removing his hood and taking a deep breath of air.

Bakura looked away. For that past two days of this prison, he found that it was not his four feet by five feet prison that was so painful. It was not that he was locked in the room of which his wife had always done great magical works. It was not that it was his own home he was incarcerated in.

It was the fact that the monster that caged him, tortured him by using the body of his own child to do so.

The father braced himself as the figure turned, eyes bright and an evil smirk on the boy's face, a bright millennium eye burning fiercely on his forehead. Two glinting hazel orbs, the eyes his wife had given him, burned softly while looking at him.

"Don't worry, Mr. Ryou, she will be _well_ taken care of…" Said the twisted voice from the mouth of his son. The boy turned, but before his face was completely out of sight Bakura watched a single tear slide silently down his check. The father knew that the pain from his captivity was far less painful than the immense agonizing hurt that was being caused by his son's, or what was left of him inside.

Bakura took the message of the tear and clung to it, as he watched over his other child. The single drop said it all.

_"I'm sorry Dad."_

"I'm sorry too, Mat." Bakura replied quietly, his own tears starting to slide down his face, the ache in his heart too much to bear.

"I'm sorry too…"

Javas tried not to meet eye contact with anyone. He found the best way to do this was to study the carpet lining of the limo floor and to remain as inconspicuous as he could. For the third time Javas found his eyes straying to the heavy black boots of the shifting man a seat away from him.

When the man had first walked into the door they had immediately met eye-contact. It only to a moment, but it would be a memorable experience. Javas had looked the stranger over carefully, with his vigilant blue eyes. He noticed the similarity between his blonde hair and the man's hair. He even felt his own blonde locks to make sure. The man must have been thinking the same thing, since they both reached and touched their hair at the same time.

Then his father walked in. The reaction was not of which Javas would have liked.

"Alright, I've found my son, and you can find your friend and his daughter. I believe we are done here." Kaiba said briskly, sitting with one leg crossed in his seat, looking placidly at Yami and Yugi.

"If that's what you want Kaiba. Thank you." Yami replied as Yugi nodded in agreement. Javas kept his head down for a few more moments. His heart was telling him different. He couldn't just leave her there. He cared about her…right? He thought he did. Then he should do something. Javas twiddled his thumbs nervously, glanced at his father's shoes, and back to his own. He couldn't. All his life his father had been the commanding one, the one you never argued with, ever. The fear inside him was deep. But what could his father possibly do to him? So he wasn't what he had always wanted. No child ever seems to be. He had to do something.

"It's not what I want." Javas said suddenly, lifting his eyes warily away from his father, toward the man.

"I want to help in any way I can."

"Javas, no. You've had a full day. They can take care of themselves, they'll be alright."

"No I haven't, Father. She's my friend. I have to help." Javas retorted, turning to his dad's stony face. Yami and Yugi remained silent, knowing when to stay quiet. The glaring of father and son was strong, neither giving in. Joey wasn't as perceptive.

"You know, the Kid's right. Friendship is important." Joey replied looking at Kaiba's heating face.

"Shut up, Wheeler."

"Don't tell him that!"

"I said no, Javas." Kaiba retorted angrily.

"But Dad!"

"I said no."

"I don't care! I'm helping whether you like it or not!"

"JAVAS!" The boy was silenced, but he still glared viciously at his father. A glare of a Wheeler. Kaiba was seeing it in double. Both Wheeler and his _own son_ were glaring at him like he was a horrible man. They were so much alike. They could be passed off as father and son, more than him and Javas. They were both so stubborn…

Something the three of them shared.

"Do you know, what it's like worrying about you for the past two days?" Kaiba asked Javas in a soft voice, "Do you know how scared I was? I was afraid I was never going to see you again. Do don't know what that is like. I use to worry about your Uncle, but never was it as powerful as I worry for you. You are my only child. Only. I can't bare the thought of loosing you." Both looks of hatred evaporated, Joey's before Javas's, but the boy looked at his father for the first time with new eyes. Joey regarded him with a proud look, which puzzled the CEO.

"Your Dad's right, Sport," Joey supported, carefully nudging Javas in the shoulder with a fist lightly.

"Don't worry; we'll get your friend back." Javas looked at Joey warmly. Kaiba felt a nerve twinge and controlled his jealousy for now.

"That is nice of you…Mr. Wheeler…but I have to help get her back." Kaiba sighed. There was just no dealing with his son sometimes.

"Alright, Javas, you win, but we're not doing anything dangerous. This will be strictly computer work. Do you hear me?" Javas smirked approvingly of his father.

"Deal." Javas replied. Yugi smiled warmly at the two, making him wonder if he could have had conversations like this with his own son. Yami looked uneasily out the window, watching the people passing rapidly by, a guilty look on his face. After several moments he glanced back and found a small smile on T.R's face. He ignored it, and turned back to the problem at hand.

"When we get to the Game Shop, do not go inside the house. We don't want any repeats of what happened to Bakura before we start looking. I'm sure you have something to help track down the Ryous while TombRobber checks to see what we can use in Kaede's mind."

"Then after we form a plan, we go in and save them." Javas finished. Yugi nodded a small innocent smile on his face. Yami, knowing better, kept his usual silence and looked at the lack of color in the Robber's face, his eyes shadowed by his white hair, his hands clasped lightly together. It was easy to see what he was fretting about, being the only one to actually see past the act he showed off so effortlessly. Yami had experience with such masks, he was sorry to admit, but sometimes it had proven necessary. He wondered if having such an ego was necessary for him, and immediately answered yes to the stupid question.

Being that young when you lost your parents, in that time, a child had to become tough to survive. An easy way of doing this was by locking up all the pain and never seeing it again, to get angry to cloud over it. TombRobber had become a master at it. And Yami pitied him for it.

They reached the house, got out from the car one at a time, T.R and Javas in the middle to protect both youths. Kaiba and Joey were in the front and Yami and Yugi took the rear. The group was tense as they set foot in the shop, Joey and Kaiba both shared a look of complete and utter sternness as they looked about the still turned over counters, smashed cases, books and boxes dispersed across the room. Standing in the middle of the room, Javas was the first to speak.

"Why did you leave the place a mess?" He asked, stepping carefully over a piece of glass.

"…We figured it was evidence." Yugi replied, paying no heed to the crunching as T.R walked over it boredly, headed for the back room, despite Joey telling him to stop. He was ignored, the teen completely at home in the dark atmosphere. Yami could understand his shady thing. If you were the biggest and baddest thing out there, then you had nothing to fear. The dark was nothing to fear if you were the monster.

"…But the police haven't been here?" Javas continued, puzzled, as Joey walked up the stairs. Kaiba remained in the room, looking over the room, a brief case clasped in his fist.

"No, we decided not to call it in. They're involvement would only complicate things." Yami replied, picking up a turned over broom.

"Trying to tell people about alternate spirits only seems to make people think you're crazy." Yugi added, his tone trying to be cheerful.

"I don't blame them." Javas said, just before a loud bang and a yell sounded from the other room, making the three adults turn to the noise. They listened to Joey's hurried footsteps with deaf ears as TombRobber came back into the Shop with company.

Lifted out in front of him, by the back of the shirt, was a struggling girl, shrieking now to be let go. T.R looked over her tiredly and let her go, placing her onto the floor lightly. The lady straightened and looked nervously around the room with wide chocolate brown eyes, looking ready to bolt, until T.R clasped his hand on her shaking shoulder.

"Don't panic. She's the missing child." He sounded placidly. Christa glanced at him nervously, looked at Yami, Yugi, and Kaiba, then let her eyes settle on Javas.

He wasn't prepared for such a look and felt the urge just to melt away. He was the only one to waver under her gaze. She slowly gazed back at the floor, wringing his hands anxiously before she found her voice.

"My father said that he had friends here. I came for help. I didn't know where to go. When I found the door open I decided to wait inside. I swear I didn't do this. When I heard you come in I thought-"

"There is no need, Christa. We know what's going on, and we are going to make things right. I'm sure Javas can explain this whole story to you while we start to look." Yami gave Javas a knowing glance before he turned to Kaiba, ready for the huge 'how this machine works' speech before the CEO even knew he was going to give one. Yugi glanced at Joey, taking the broom from Yami's hand as he started to clean up the mess.

Joey joined him as Javas lead Christa nervously into the other room, looking white-faced and nervous for the first time in days, knowing he was out of his league. Christa kept glancing at the boy, a small safe smile slowly creeping onto her face as she relaxed, listening intently to the boy's fast voice, studying his handsome face with interest.

T.R was the only one left with nothing to do, which suited him just fine, or would have if he didn't feel so damn sick right now. He had this gurgled clawing feeling writhing in his stomach, making him want to throw up even though there was nothing in it. He tried to ignore the sense since it was obvious that thinking about it would only make it worse, but found that his reasoning was also flawed since he had something else that would be far worse to think about than just throwing up. He also knew the two probably interlinked with each other.

He pondered them icily as he walked away from the group, the need to be alone making it self present. He found himself walking up the stairs, with stalking feet, his large monstrous shadow cast on the wall by the dim light, dipping with his nimble steps, reflecting his dark nature, not caring where his feet brought him.

He wasn't surprised when he reached Yugi's old bedroom, shadowed and old looking under the thin layer of dust on the desk by the window, the chair, and the bed. The closet door was open and full of boxes, the mirror on the inside of that door showing a middle aged teenager in a large black trench coat, with white hair and a young face, but his eyes were those only had by the every old and wise, staring back at him. Those eyes were troubled.

He lightly caressed the ring around his neck, trying to comfort himself even a little, by its soft warmth and steady one-eyed gaze. He listened to the arrows chime and remembered the first time he had actually admired the noise, after he had taken it from the priest, a winning from a well-placed duel. He was disappointed when the Ring did not sway the nagging feeling. That only meant it had something to do with it.

And when Yami walked into the room, that feeling intensified.

"Do you know what you have to do?" the Pharaoh asked him with a stern stare. The thief gazed at him with a slight look of discomfort. Yami knew that it probably felt ten times worse than that. After several moments of dead silence he spoke again.

"If you won't voluntarily, I will be forced to ask Christa to make you. That would mean I'd have to explain this whole situation…fully." T.R gritted his teeth.

"Fine." He snarled. He firmly clasped the chair and with swift dexterity swung himself into it, letting his coat flap down at his sides as dust puffed up around him. He ignored it as he pulled lightly at his sleeves, before taking a deep breath and settled.

For a long moment he hesitated, his eyes flickering with thoughts. Yami allowed him this period, shutting the door softly behind him. It would be better to do this in private, for TombRobber, so he coated the door with a silent repelling charm, the same spell he used on Javas's door, except he added a lot more power to it, just in case, before he swept off some of the dust on the bed before he sat down across from the thief.

"Are you ready?" Yami finally asked him, making T.R glare at him before he let the breath out and closed his eyes, starting to concentrate. Yami took that as a yes and waited, his hands folded patiently.

After about ten minutes of nothing but silent breathing before Yami finally shifted and cleared his throat.

"…Robber?"

"Yes, I'm at the wall. Shut up." T.R spat, looking up at the black slicked wall, deciding whether or not to actually go through this. After a moment of annoyance he dug his fist into the small glowing opening, the sludge and immediately started to empty it, yelling things at Yami as he did so, trying to blow off steam.

The goop was easy to remove, and soon the shinning light was growing and spreading in front of his eyes. He didn't want to take down the wall. It was a defense on his part. Instead he'd make a hole large enough for him to enter and climb through. The easiest way to do that was to use the damage he had already made to his advantage.

He braced himself as her dizzying sent washed over him, as he clawed back another huge blob, his teeth gritted against it. His whole mind quivered as he brushed against the bubble of hers, making him recede from the wall in surprise and uncertainty.

"I can't do this." He growled menacingly at the phantom voice of the ancient king around him, glaring at his blackened fists.

"You can and must." Yami replied carefully. T.R looked at the hole with a twisted look of dread and disgust, as he tried to make up his mind. Yami watched his expression spread clearly on the face of his body and fidgeted nervously. If the Robber didn't go through with this, it could mean precious time. They'd have to think of another plan, one more dangerous than the one he was risking now. He didn't want to go there.

"I can not, Pharaoh." TombRobber muttered his face placid with his lips barely moving. Yami made himself stop shifting and studied the teen's hands grasping at the sides of his chair. The thief was weakening. He was afraid of what could happen to him if he crossed that barrier. Or maybe Kaede? He had to coax him through the gap somehow.

"…Are you telling me that the Great Lord of Thieves can not simply walk into the mind of a mortal?" Yami asked suddenly, his voice smug and mocking. TombRobber clenched his teeth down harder, his anger rising. Yami smiled slightly. What better way to force him than to insult his ego?

"You're not _afraid_ of her, not the king of thieves…are you?"

"Afraid? Of a mortal? Don't joke with me."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Book Dragon: "Please Review"


	22. Information

Chapter 22: Information

T.R leashed him anger the best he could, wondering how the Pharaoh could dare insult him in such a way as he forced his arm through the crack, pushing through the fluffy light of her mind and tightened his hold on the wall. Sluggishly, he shoved his other darkened arm through and paused a moment. Taking a deep breath, he closed the eyes of his mind and quickly rammed his head through.

His arms flexed as he slowly pulled himself to the other side, until about to his abdomen when suddenly the barrier creaked. His eyes flew open widely, knowing that sound was not good. He eased the pressure on the divider gingerly, and let his eyes flicker over the structure worriedly.

Just as he removed his strength the force cracked loudly to his left. Instinctively the thief threw his hands into the sides of the hole and held up the wall as it collapsed around him, making his worse fear come true, trapping him inside it.

"Damn it." He growled softly at the wall, trying to pull his hands free, but soon found it impossible due to the large black glue slowly dripping down around him, sealing him in. Breathing deeply he struggled to kick himself free from the other side, hoping maybe he would just wiggle his way out.

It didn't work, the darkness held him fast. He didn't want to blow the wall with any of his magic. That would make himself very apparent. She would definitely find him before he could make another one. To make matters even worse, his ears sharpened to a sudden soft thudding off in the distance.

His eyes widened in panic as he figured out they were footsteps. She was already aware of his presence. He swore viciously as he tried to throw all of his weight back through to his side of the barrier, struggling with all his might just to go back. His neck bulged as he tried frantically to slide back through with all his might, barely listening to Yami's muffled voice calling to him.

"Robber! Are you alright!" Yami asked him, looking at the huge amount of strain on the boy's face in reality, beads of sweet starting to trickle down his brow.

"No. She's coming." He puffed miserably, frustration clear in his voice. The Spirit struggled inside the mental reality, listening to the frightening footsteps getting louder, on the verge of complete panic, forced just to listen to his own doom.

"T.R?" The Spirit froze inside his trap as the familiar female voice echoed in the soft glow around him. Slowly, with growing dread, he shifted his head back, pointing toward the ground, and looked at the speaker.

Kaede stood about three feet in front of him, upside-down since that was the only way he could turn his head, in a light gray misty room. She wore a black t-shirt with darkened navy jeans with no shoes or socks. Her hair hung lifelessly past her shoulders, much like her wings on her back, with an expression of complete and utter dullness. Her eyes reflected a depressed care-free nature as she stared at him.

There was also a soft gray hue rippling around her form, a dull color, much like the scene around them. He stared at her with wide eyes and found he was unable to say anything, just knowing that she wasn't herself and it had something to do with the lack of brightness. The gray was _wrong_. It was faded; it was concealing the radiance of the normal color in here. It was a spell.

"Are you stuck?" She asked him, her voice flat and tuneless, with bored eyes. He hesitated a moment, fighting the urge to answer.

"Yes." He sputtered quickly, losing the battle as usual. He was surprised when she asked him no other questions, but instead simply came closer, until she was looking down at him. He watched nervously as she studied his mid-section with calm eyes, dreary eyes.

After a few moments she reached forward, plunging her hand into the black mass, and searched around his stomach, feeling wall and skin. He felt himself recoil from her soft bubbly touch, trying not to look at her or what she was doing, trying and failing not to react. She only glanced at him with a calm expression.

"Brace yourself." She said bluntly as she reached through into the blackness, past his middle, with one hand, her other hand holding onto his back. She used her arm to hold him horizontal as her right hand reached deeper into the shaft. The TombRobber felt the color from his face vanish as he was clearly aware of her fingers, prodding about his hips, until they curled around the rim of his pants. He noticed her arm tense on his back as she pulled on him.

He felt himself move slightly from the opening, a sucking noise echoing around them, and watched as she dragged him out a few inches before stopping a moment, letting go of his jeans and back to place her arms around his shoulders, then she heaved with all her might, until finally his hands were free. He pried them away from each other and pressed against the wall.

With their strength combined he little by little slipped from the crack, until, with a final tug, his feet came free with a large pop noise. Kaede fell back onto the floor, unable to keep her balance, dragging T.R with her until both of them were sprawled and stained covered, on the gray floor.

He immediately tried to rise away from her, but found her hands still warped around under his arms grasping him. He started to turn his head when her hands uncurled, leaving one small black hand print on his right shoulder with the other coal colored spots and smears as he rose to his feet, keeping his flickering eyes to the blank marble floor.

She rose from the floor and kept a distance between them with a depressed expression, watching him with weary eyes, only a faint look of wonder only lightly touching her face.

"Are you alright?" She asked in a sleepy voice.

"Yes." He replied, taking a glance at her before studying his completely blackened lower half and sticky hands. He attempted to wipe them clean on his shirt.

"Is there something you want?" T.R tensed at that question.

"Yes, many things." He answered, deciding to be vague. She nodded to his reply, like it answered everything as she put her hands in her pockets, not really caring that she was also covered in the blackness. She didn't seem to be caring about anything, except-

TombRobber blinked at himself a moment, freezing on spot as an odd thought occurred to him. He looked at her slightly inquisitive face with confusion, realizing her curiosity was the only other emotion besides apathy she was exhibiting. It was clear the spell was suppressing any of her feelings, or at least trying to cover them. From what he could feel from it, he knew it was pretty strong. Even the most powerful emotions would only seem slight on her face. Which meant she was deeply puzzled about him?

"Do you know where you are?" T.R asked, his tone as annoyed sounding as he could make it. The girl hummed for a dull moment, before blinking once, and opening her mouth.

"In my mind." She replied.

"No, I mean where are you physically?" She was silent, holding up her hand to her face as she yawned deeply with depressed eyes. T.R shook his head in really annoyance and refrained himself from shaking her.

"We if you can't tell me where you are, can you show me?" T.R asked her bitterly. He didn't have time for this, but that wasn't the main point. The main point was he was starting to get very prickly, and he really didn't like it.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" She asked him in a bored tone.

"Yes." He replied snappily. The girl blinked and sighed wearily.

"Fine."

Kaede reached forward with her right hand and lightly touched his shoulder. T.R watched with wondering eyes until he felt himself thrown up suddenly into a blinding light. Confused he blinked his eyes and froze, trying to see, and wondering what the hell had just happened.

He tried to lift his hand but found it caught, wrapped in something soft and fuzzy. The smell of apples was strong and a relief. He blinked several more times before things slowly adjusted. He saw the familiar brown branches framed by green leaves and knew something was very wrong.

"Kaede? Are you awake?" T.R stiffened at the sound of Bakura's voice and clamped Kaede's hazel eyes shut, spreading a look of dread on her face. Unfortunately, he found that worse, increasing how much he felt. He was forced to open her eyes again and concentrate on a single branch, studying it.

"Oh Ra, why me?" He muttered, her voice instead saying the words in a tuneful tone. He winced at it.

"Kaede?" T.R turned her head toward the voice and looked at Bakura's hopeful eyes, through a golden shimmering cage in the corner of the room, a few feet away from him.

"Nope, she's not in right now." T.R said with a choked tone, looking at Bakura desperately with calm eyes. He was the focus of attention, anything as to not be aware of the body he was in now. Bakura's hopeful expression was shattered by a hot raging face.

"You!" He growled.

"Me." T.R retorted, being as still as possible. He was fighting the urge not to let his eyes wander and ordered them with his entire mind to stay dead-locked on his former vessel. Bakura was too angry to notice the thief's odd behavior.

"Get out of her." He snarled, getting up off the floor and leaning very close to the bars, but not wrapping his fingers around them. Just by looking at the red raw flesh of the inside of his hand was enough to tell the robber that the bars would burn.

"Would if I could. But, I need information. The Pharaoh's got me fishing." T.R grumbled, "The quicker you tell me where this is, the quicker I'll be gone."

Bakura thought for a moment. The thought of the Spirit helping his daughter escape was sickening, but he'd rather see her free than a tool. The problem was the plants were constricting around her. Could T.R, being inside the body, as for the plants to release her and have it work?

"Can you get the plants to move? Get her out of here?" Bakura asked him, his tone optimistic.

"Won't work. I'm not her. It's a mental thing." T.R answered in a wary tone, his eyes flickering away him very few seconds now.

"Who is the enemy?" T.R asked bluntly, trying to keep the father on subject. He already knew it was Marik, not the good Marik, but a part of him, now. The Rod had to have somehow taken control of one of the family. Bakura looked at him with slightly pained eyes.

"I'm not sure. Who ever it is, is using Mat as a body puppet. He knows a lot about ancient magic and uses the Millennium Rod."

"We already know that." T.R growled, rolling her eyes. He immediately winced, having caught a look down at her. He wanted to howl with frustration.

"You know we're in the attic of the house? The apple tree room?"

"Yes and yes. Anything else?" Bakura pondered for a long moment.

"Is Christa alright? I heard a slight scuffle down stairs-"

"YES! She's fine; she's at Yugi's house." The Spirit growled viciously, ignoring Bakura face slightly lifting.

"Any idea what he'd want her for?" T.R snarled desperately.

"Christa?"

"No, Kaede, you fool!" Bakura ignored T.R's attitude.

"No idea, except that they might want her magical abilities…"

"That is obvious." T.R snapped.

His temper was frayed. He was glad the mortal was too upset to notice. Bakura opened his mouth to say something but the words never came. A noise from down stairs suddenly disturbed the conversation, making both of them look to the floor.

They were silent for several seconds, until even Bakura could clearly hear footsteps echoing from the other side of the room, coming from the stairs.

"Shit." They said simultaneously. T.R was surprised by the next thing Bakura said.

"The bastard's coming back. You better leave. Tell Yami not to worry about me, just take care of my kids." T.R was even more shocked at what he answered back.

"Don't worry, the Pharaoh has a way of meddling like that." Bakura barely noticed the change; he braced himself as the treading drew closer. T.R struggled with the back of his mind, trying to find away out of control of her body. After a few seconds he felt on the verge of panic. It didn't help when Bakura commented with a whisper.

"Go already!"

"Patience, mort-" Suddenly, he felt himself recede back into the corridors of her mind, leaving the body to relax from T.R's tenseness. A blink of his eyes and the robber found himself in front of Kaede again, in a gray world, as her hand moved back from his shoulder, her eyes still reflecting a bleak emotion.

"Have you got what you need?" she asked him.

"Yes." He said in a sigh of relief, forgetting to keep himself in check, he was so relieved it spilled out onto the top layers of his mental form. Her face twisted slightly, until a tiny smile formed on her face. The gray blanket about them shifted as she did so, brightening the scenery for a moment, before it faded back when the Robber looked room again with an odd look on his face.

"Will you leave now?" She queried, the faint sound of sorrow rippling through her voice. T.R just stared at her for an unbelieving moment, before he swallowed a large breath of air.

"Yes...why do you care? I will be out of your head." The teen said nothing to this, her eyes slowly moving downward to the floor before she closed them and was silent for several long moments, before her mouth twisted.

"Because I choose to." She answered in a forced shaky voice, "You should go back. Someone is calling you." The thief blinked as his ears sharpened and found she was correct. The Pharaoh was screaming up a storm out there, he could see it rattling at the wall.

"Will you come back?" T.R let an uneasy look slip onto his face despite how hard he fought to hide it.

"…I'm not sure." He said, looking at her hooded eyes with uncertainty, trying to sound irritated. To his disappointment it came out huskily. He watched her tilt her head with a hint of puzzlement pulling at her expression.

"Why would you want me to?" He asked, despite how much he didn't want to. She was quiet for another long moment before she answered.

"Because I trust you. Now go." The tomb robber wasn't surprised when his legs immediately stiffened and turned himself around instantly and walked away to the wall, where he started to remove more of the inky blackness until finally he was sure he could fit through. Without looking back he climbed through the wall successfully with nimble movement. The moment he was across he opened his heavy eye lids of his body.

Yami was crouched over him with his hands clasped tightly over his shoulders, a look of worry on his face that lifted as the teen glared at him. Yami had to jump up and hold onto him when T.R tensed so violently his fingers slipped from the wooden seat of the chair and threaten to wake him from his trance-like state.

"Let go of me." T.R growled. Yami obliged instantly and gave him some space by backing away and sitting on the bed. His usually stern face was warped with many other emotions the burglar could not understand, nor cared about.

"Are they alright?"

"Describe 'alright'." The expression of the ancient Pharaoh turned grim as he brushed back his hair with wide spread fingers, knowing that this wasn't good.

"What's their condition?" He asked delicately staring at the floor with shadowed eyes.

"No one is dead. Bakura has slight injuries and the girl is relatively sound."

"Relatively?"

T.R explained about what he had seen and bits of their conversation. He told him in such away that he didn't explain what was said, but how both of them where in unfeeling details, his voice completely flat, as he watched the Pharaoh's pained face twist.

He knew he should have been enjoying this, but on the inside he was completely numbed and depressed. He figured it was probably some of the enchantment leaking through the hole from Kaede and he'd have to fix it later, but for now he didn't want to deal with any of it. He wanted nothing more than to just sleep and not think at all.

Yami left the tomb robber inside Yugi's old bedroom, shutting the door quietly and leaving the spell on it, so he could recover. Even though he wouldn't admit it, Yami was sure that it was probably one of the most nerve-racking things he ever had to do, and causing him more pain just made the Pharaoh feel even guiltier.

He was actually unable to keep the indifferent mask and knew he'd need to be alone for a while to let himself heal…or at least bury all the remorse need down somewhere for a time.

He was taken by surprise by the two teen standing right outside the door.

"What are you two doing here?" He asked after a moment of just Javas and Christa staring at him. Javas started up at him into his wide violet eyes with confusion and tried to ignore Christa's arm wrapped around his own.

"Yugi said to get you. Some people just showed up, claiming something about needing to see the Pharaoh. Are you alright?" Javas asked, looking around him at the door with curious eyes. Yami glanced at the door behind him and cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure.

"Yes, tell them I'll be down in a moment." He said with a fake cheerfulness that didn't fool anyone. Both teenagers turned and headed down the stairs. With their backs turned they glanced at each other with wondering looks, but said nothing to what could actually be bothering him.

They brought the message back to Yugi and Joey, who were discussing whether or not to buy pizza for dinner or make something, talking with the visitors as politely as possible with Joey being there. Yugi nodded at their reply and looked at the two olive skinned men and woman standing next to him with an apologetic look before asking them if pizza was acceptable.

They nodded to his question absentmindedly, and pressed on with the current problem. Javas wasn't absolutely clear on what was being said (again there was talk of evil spirits, seven items, and some dangerous magic), but by the grave look on Yugi's usually cheerful face made him very nervous about the whole situation.

He was also curious by Christa's content puzzled attention at the oldest man, who looked like he could be in his early sixties. It wasn't that he was wearing a robe since all three of them were, nor the strange jewelry. Maybe it was the turban?

It was only when his father left with the other adults to discuss business did Javas actually get his answer.

Book Dragon: "Please Review!"


	23. A Time for Tears

Book Dragon: "Thank you for the reviews!"

Chapter 23: A Time for Tears

The spirit remained unmoving in the dim bedroom, consumed by the silence of it, but yet his mind was clamoring loudly with his own thoughts. His eyes sought the inside of his eyelids with a fierceness that could only be described as the thirst a man feels after being lost in the dessert for days, but still he fought them back, knowing that if he slept it would be bad. Though that confused him.

She could do nothing to his mind, he had proven stronger than he had imagined. Her mind was not as alluring as he had thought, but he also had to consider the spell on her. Could he have resisted had the spell hadn't been on her? He could not fall to her, that would be accepting death, and he was still not done with his business.

He wanted, no _needed_, to kill the Pharaoh. He needed to be punished for the wrong he has committed, and the only way to replace those lives was with his own, since there was no greater thing he could give. Justice would be given to those who were dead. He would make sure of it.

He would not let him get away with killing his whole village, taking their bodies off to be melted into the seven golden items, as a sacrifice so a magic would work. He suffered from the greed of power, and so he deserved to have that power. He would go through hell to make him pay in a heart beat, but the only way to do that was to get the items and use the power to kill him.

"I have not lived through countless centuries, waiting for him to return to let him slip through my fingers." He growled to himself in a half asleep voice, content with his thoughts of death. It would've lulled him to sleep had he not been snapped awake by the odd female thoughts wafting through the opening. He fought sleeps luring by slamming his ankle against the chair, using the pain to keep him awake.

"No," He growled to himself, "To sleep would be taking my guard away and that would cause…" He trailed off, realizing for the first time how exactly that could entice him, since she was trapped in the spell. Before he could think it through the pain had left him and sleep had caught him, letting him fall swiftly into it, despite his refusal.

When the soft troubled snoring of the 'youth' was caught by the ancient King's ears, he let out his held breath in a soft breeze, and hoped that in his dreams he wouldn't be so troubled. His foe's struggles were so deep he would wish it upon no man, but still there was nothing he could do, but make a plan and wait for the moment.

As he laid his hand on the door, Yami wondered why everything had gotten so…_gray_, compared to before, when he had been 'young'. The days when it was simple, evil was truly evil and good was good. It was so much easier back then. What had changed it?

Pressing his head softly on his hand, he already knew the answer. It was when he had lost him. Yugi had let the Orichalcos take him instead. It was that day he was shown to have that same evil lurking inside him. Perhaps it was the fact that Yugi seemed so pure and innocent that made him believe that ether a person was all good or bad…no.

It was even before that damnable piece of magic took his vessel away that he was starting to see gray. Everyone around him had turned bad due to horrible experiences. And TombRobber was one of them.

But he was being helped. Perhaps not totally healed, but helped. If they got Bakura's daughter back, that was. She was the key. She had the power to heal both of them. Bakura and the TombRobber. She was enough like her mother and enough of a character none of them knew to like both her father and the Robber. She could love them both…

Yugi didn't have that.

"Pharaoh?"

Yami turned quickly, surprised, and found a pair of dark blue eyes staring at him through the shadowy gloom of the hall. Even though he already knew who it was, he had to blink his watering eyes to see his grim face clearly.

"Hello Kaiba."

"What are you doing?" he demanded. Yami blinked again, startled, and was aware of the tears starting to slide silently down his face. He would've turned away had Kaiba's icy eyes had not held him so strongly. Narrowed eyes…deep eyes that swirled.

The CEO took a sharp inhale and after a pause asked in a soft voice,

"Why are you crying?" Yami was silent; surprised that he would be asking such questions. When Kaiba didn't demand the answer out of him, but instead patiently waited, that made Yami speak.

"Nothing." He responded, turning to wipe the tears from his face when Kaiba's fist slammed the wall beside his right shoulder, blocking him from exiting. Yami turned back and looked at him with confused and shocked eyes. Kaiba's face was calm, stern, despite the strong emotion swirling in his eyes. What was it?

"That's bullshit!" He whispered agitatedly, the young CEO he use to be surfacing through that aged face, "You never cried for nothing. You were too strong for that. Is this about Yugi?" Yami's eyes widened before he shoved the man away. Kaiba came straight back and caught him by the shoulders with a vice grip so hard it made the ancient king yelp as he slammed him against the wall.

"Is it!" He demanded, his voice breaking. Yami lowered his gaze to the floor, in a submissive behavior and was completely silent. Kaiba, angered by how easily he gave up, snarled, and let him go, backing away in his rage.

For a few moments neither of them said or did anything, just listened to the talk going on down stairs. It would go to happy chatter to muttering to finally roaring and then die down again. In a weird way it was much like a song, one that was interrupted when the click of a lighter.

Yami looked up and caught the business man lighting a cigarette, his face caught in the soft orange glow of the flame licking the end of the white death stick, until he flicked it off and took a large drag. The embers glowed eerily for a moment, and with the quick exhale Yami's nose picked up the disgusting smoky smell. After a few drags, Kaiba finally spoke, while staring at his cigarette.

"My wife made me quit when she got pregnant with Javas, she said it was bad for the baby. I don't even know why I even started smoking in the first place…I suppose it was when Mokuba died," He took another inhale, held it for a moment, and then let it out in a slow cloud, "that little break in from those thieving bastards, they were going to steal some of my prototypes, or at least that was what they said. Still, they were all carrying revolvers; I guess their employers asked for a hit, too…" Yami watched silently as Kaiba's face twisted with extreme pain, and took another drag from his shaking hand.

"…I was asleep." He said after a moment, "When they came into my room…Mokuba had woken up to the noise they made. He was always a light sleepier…" Kaiba laughed, but it was an aching crackle.

"The damn security system fails and my brother wakes up. The one time where a human beats a machine…" He laughed a little harder, with a less sanity. Yami watched silently.

"He was small. You remember don't you? He was always shorter than you…and there where at least five of them there. Sure Mokuba was fifteen then, but that's still young…" Kaiba looked up to the ceiling, his blue eyes brimming with hot tears, as his shoulders began to shake.

"…I-I woke up when the gun discharged. The police told me there was a struggle…t-they even said he tried to talk them out of it…but one of them…" He took a troubled breath and his usually dry face was sudden damped by a stream of tears. The famous heartless Seto Kaiba was now crying.

"He was going to shoot me…but Mokuba threw himself in the way and took the bullets, one in the shoulder…one in the chest…I guess seeing him go down gave me enough of an adrenaline rush to chase them out of the house, I'm not sure what exactly happened… next thing I know is I have my brother in my arms…h-he was soaked…and coughing up blood…they had hit a lung…he was getting really pale…and he was just staring up at me with his calm and peaceful eyes. He looks at me, and smiles, just _smiles,_ as he takes my hand and whispers in the smallest voice, 'I love you big brother.'…and then his g-grip just loosens…and _I don't see any of the brightness in his eyes anymore_…"

Yami shuts his eyes, feeling his own eyes starting to grow wet again, as he listened to his old enemy start to sob. When the weeping cuts down, Yami re-opened his wet purple orbs and looked at Kaiba's equally wet face, and his swimming eyes.

"I was sure I was dead at that moment…actually I _was_ dead. It was like the two of us just died at that moment. I threw myself into my work after that and never came out again. I locked my cards up and never looked at them again.

"I can remember a dozen nights sitting on the floor of my bathroom, staring at a glassful of water with a handful of pills in my hand, trying to get up enough balls to take them and just crawl back into bed, knowing I'd never have to wake up again…but I couldn't.

"So I walked like a dead man to work and back everyday, and bled…until I decided to have a little too much to drink one night and stumbled into Serenity. She had been coming home for the Library that night and without a second thought took me to the apartment she was living in." He smiled slightly at the memory, the white smoking stick in his mouth turning up.

"One thing led to another, and I found, when they gave me my son, the first time I really got to hold him, I was met with the biggest bluest eyes, an exact replica of my brother's eyes, staring right back at me. And that has to be one of the happiest days of my life." He continued to smile weakly as he took a finally drag and looked around for a place to discard the thing. When he found none he simply continued to hold the smoldering end and turned back to Yami.

"Serenity told me about what happened between Yugi and Tea. She said she thought that you thought it was your fault the two of them separated. It probably is, but that's not the point. You couldn't control that. Even for a 5,000 year spirit you were young, and that was because Yugi was young. Tea was an idiot. She believed you'd immediately love you if she said so and just leave Yugi out of the picture, even when she was pregnant. She was just angry when her dream didn't come true and ran off like a little girl. From what I can tell, Yugi's over it. He doesn't care about what part you played in there separation and still he loves you like a brother. So why must you let it tare you apart inside? My point is what's been done, had been done. There is no way to go back and fix it. Do what you can now to live with it."

He turned away from Yami and started toward the stairs, leaving him with the difficult path of healing, when he suddenly stopped. With his back still turned to him he spoke.

"Yami?"

"Yes, Kaiba?" Yami responded, wondering what else he had to say for once.

"…My son… is going to ask you to teach him to duel. I can see it in his eyes. He's like Mokuba in that regard. So teach him with all your power or you'll be hearing from me." Kaiba growled. Yami smiled weakly as he began to wipe the tears from his eyes.

"I will." Kaiba half turned back and looked at him for a moment.

"Good." He said with a smile on his face, turned back and headed down the stairs, his trench coat flapping as he wiped away his own tears.

Book Dragon: (looking up at the sky nervously) "HMm…Please Review."


	24. Planning

Chapter 24: Planning

The pizza came and was quickly devoured, but that was mostly Joey's fault. He had claimed that this whole thing was straining and he needed energy. Yugi smiled at his old friend around the kitchen, happy that after all these years his appetite hadn't changed much. Though, of course, he didn't want to be around later when Joey got heartburn.

Kaiba and Yami refused to eat anything, which troubled Yugi deeper than the absence of all three teenagers. But even despite his worry, he knew they'd eat when they felt like it. Even though they had meet on such dark a situation, Yugi still felt happy in spite of himself. It felt like the old days, and even though, as a child, he had been happy to see it go, it was a much warmer feeling to find it had returned again before too long. He watched Joey talking merrily with Marik, nodding as Marik, wearing a leather jacket much like Joey's, talked about the motorcycle store he had been running for the last couple of years now.

Marik listened intently, stroking the stubble on his face, and watched Joey's wide gestures with bright purple eyes. A biker himself, Joey was very interested in what kind of work Marik did. It was comforting to see them getting along so well after things that had happened, so very long ago. It was proof that time changed people.

Isis glanced at her brother every so often, her blue eyes calm behind a pair of modern glasses, her jet black hair graying slightly, and looking very good in her tan suit, as she ate her pizza quietly, and spoke very few words. The feeling of responsibility for her younger brother had survived, not that such a thing would perish lightly.

Shadi, too, kept his mysterious nature over these years intact. He was very, very old now. You could see it in the wrinkles of his once smooth face, but his eyes still shown a strange vague blue. Still, he had a strange way of commanding respect. He didn't eat much either. And just by looking into his eyes, Yugi could tell it would be he that would start this business, and it made him frown slightly at the thought.

When everyone finished eating, the plates were stacked in the sink, and several pizza boxes discarded near the door, Shadi cleared his throat, calling everyone's attention, just as Yugi had suspected.

"I think its time to start this business." The change on both of the Egyptians at his comment was quick, from happy, to very, very serious and slightly saddened.

"I think it's safe to say we all know the problem, am I correct?"

"No." Kaiba said irritated, stuffing his hands into his pockets as Shadi turned and looked at him, only glancing as Javas and Christa came into the room. Just by the stern look on his father's face, Javas slightly happy and annoyed with his wonderful timing. He tried to ignore the cloudiness threatening to seep into his mind at Christa's touch and forced himself to focus.

"Bakura Ryou, and two of his children, Matsimela Ryou and Kaede Ryou, are both being threatened by Marik's darker side, to which we had thought destroyed." Shadi told him briskly. Marik averted his eyes sadly, his fingers slightly fidgeting.

"…He sealed a piece of himself into the rod, and since I was able to dispel him, he could not take me again. His presence wasn't a problem."

"But now it is a problem?" Marik looked sadly at Kaiba.

"Yes."

"How so?" Again his gaze twisted. Yugi could sense the guilt inside of him. It hadn't been his fault what had happened.

"The rod. It was in my possession, until my son foolishly lent it to Matsimela. I would've brought him to apologize, but it is really is my fault. I should have realized he'd do something to keep himself alive. And it seems, Matsimela just wanted to show it to his younger sister, a sort of apology as to what he had said earlier about his father. From what my son said, made me understand, was that she was very interested in Egyptian artifacts, and he had promised to bring it back the next day." Marik sighed.

"But after three days, he became worried. He hadn't seen Matsimela in that time, and when ever he came by the house it seemed there was no one there. He was afraid to tell me he had lost it…It was only after about two weeks that I found it missing, and by then it was too late...I'm sorry."

"So you see," Isis interrupted, "that spirit must have killed him, and-"

"It is not your fault Marik." Yugi told him worriedly, his eyes wide and feeling. Marik looked at him sadly.

"Let his father be the judge of that." He told him mournfully.

"But he's not dead!" Christa shouted, her eyes watering. Javas patted her lightly on the back, looking very lost despite himself. Kaiba ignored his son's strange behavior, and looked at Yami as if to confirm that. Yami said nothing, but simply looked to the floor sorrowfully. When no one said anything, and just answered by the looks on their faces, Shadi opened his mouth to try and comfort the child when he was interrupted.

"She's right."

Everyone turned. Standing in the door way was the last missing member. His hair was slightly messed up, and more leaves where pointing out of it more than usual. His eyes were hooded, as if he was sleep walking, and his from appeared far more haggard than before. He leaned on the door way tiredly, but still stared at them with fierce eyes.

"What did you say?" Turning back, Javas saw Shadi's suddenly stormy eyes pierce the boy's like daggers. Had the old man's anger not been so fierce, matching or perhaps beyond T.R's, he would have smiled.

T.R rose from off the wall, opening his eyes a bit wider, as he approached the table at which they all sat at, holding his fierce gaze calmly.

"What you heard me say." T.R replied to him, his voice smug despite his weary state. When no one said anything after, waiting for him to explain, Yami was the first to figure out he was done speaking.

"How do you know this?" He asked him calmly. T.R looked at his nails at this question for a moment, studying them, before answering.

"My…" He glanced carefully at Christa, "…let's say position…allows me access at their well being. Something that plagues me every waking moment you see, and to the point, I still feel the boy. He's faint, but still there. That and the damn spirit told me before he was using the boy as a cover in the beginning."

"Much like you once did." Growled Shadi unexpectedly. Tomb Robber's look of death didn't faze the older looking man, but he didn't say anything. Yami looked down from the two warring people and shook his head.

Fixed on this strange comment, Christa opened her mouth and surprised nearly everyone in the room with a question.

"What does that mean?" Yami's head shot up at the question, and quickly looked over to the spirit, a look of worry consuming his features. The white haired boy stood very stiffly, his eyes shut tight as he fought the great blood magic, commanding him to answer. He was saddened by the Burglar's loss of the fight.

"The thing he references to is when I took your father over as a host." He said with a croaked twisted voice. He opened his eyes and glared at the millennium item holder. Christa's eyebrows wrinkled with puzzlement.

"But, how could that be? Can't only spirits with items take over people?"

"Yes."

"How could you have?"

"I am…" He clenched his teeth down hard and let out a savage growl. Startled, Christa grabbed onto Javas's shoulder and took a step away from the temperamental boy. Javas's face was pale, but that only happened after she had grabbed him. Again, T.R failed.

"A spirit of the ring." He blurted out a second later, and slammed his hand onto the table in frustration, but his mouth didn't stop there.

"My ring was given to your father, and he was my vessel. Through him I did what I wanted."

"You used him!" Shadi remarked angrily.

"That is _enough_." Yami said darkly, his cold gaze pinning the older man to the spot. At this, Shadi's rage was out like a puff of smoke, and he finally grew silent. When he finally took his eyes off him, he noticed everyone staring at him uncertainly. Carefully, he cleared his throat, trying not to make this so awkward and was actually glad when T.R growled at him.

"I didn't need your help, Pharaoh." Yami shrugged.

"Anyway," Isis continued, "It is not what happening in the past that is of concern, Miss. It is what we should do to get your family back…I am Isis by the way." She told Christa with a smile, before she gestured toward her brother.

"This is my brother Marik, and this," she gestured toward Shadi, "Is Shadi-"

"You look familiar." Christa interrupted. Isis glanced at Shadi, her eyes wise and knowing, before turning back to her.

"We all knew your father when we were about your age; perhaps you've come across a photo or picture of him…" She looked at everyone around them, "Now, do we have any idea how we're going to get Bakura and his children out?"

"We have to confront him." Yugi said calmly, his violet eyes glowing slightly. Joey nodded.

"Obviously," Kaiba retorted, rolling his eyes, "But that doesn't mean we should just walk right in."

"And why not?" Joey asked irritably. Kaiba sighed.

"Because he has the upper hand; he has three hostages." He said.

"Okay, so how do _you_ think we should go about this?" Joey countered. They all thought about this for a moment.

"…Make it seem like we're going for the Queen." Javas muttered after a moment. Marik turned to the boy curiously.

"What?" Javas blinked at him, suddenly aware he had spoken out loud, then looked at everyone else curiously staring at him. He began to fidget with his hands, and glanced at his father, a smug knowing smile on his face. Kaiba nodded a stern curt nod, encouraging his son. Javas smiled at him for a moment, before explaining.

"When in chess, most players try to eliminate the Queen first, so it's easier to get to the King. Some players take advantage of this usual playing style, and convince their opponent that they are going for the queen when. The enemy, wanting to protect their queen from threat, will either move it out of the way or use other pieces to strengthen it position, and usually this leaves the King's defenses weaker." Joey blinked once.

"Okay, say that again, but in English."

"He means a diversion, you moron." Kaiba remarked. Joey glared at him.

"I see what he's saying," Marik said, "Take two parties, have one group distract him while the other frees the others, it's as simply as child's play."

"Perhaps too simple." Yami replied, "He's probably already expecting us. He knows we wouldn't just sit back and let this happen…"

"Then let's take it up a notch… How about multiple parties? Confuse him; give him many targets to worry about instead of one." Joey suggested. Yugi nodded to this.

"Alright, so how do we go about this?"

Javas stared up at the ceiling, watching the shadows of a near by tree morphing just above where he lay. He couldn't sleep, but then again, how could you when something so out of the ordinary was taking place around him, and yet he was partly to blame. It should really be him going in there, but Yami had already explained that he'd be a nuisance, but not in so many words. He was also right, even though Javas really didn't want to admit it. Fighting people was not his strong point, he knew that. And if he hadn't insisted on helping, he probably would've gone out tonight and tried to save them himself. Or he liked to think so.

Javas sighed, and closed his eyes. His childhood seemed very far behind him now. He felt several years older than before. He felt…weaker than before. It had only been a few days ago he had felt on top of the world, he was in control and loved it. Now he felt small, insignificant, compared to the world. He was annoyed by the feeling.

He rolled over to his side agitatedly, and forced his eyes to close. He had to sleep now. If he didn't he'd be tired, and if he was tired then he wouldn't be able to focus. And tomorrow, he would need all the focus and mental power inside of him. He could give his job everything he had. It was the only way to crush these feelings of guilt and meaninglessness.

Or so he hoped.

"Can't hold your beer, Pharaoh?" asked the thief smugly before tilting his head fully back and taking a large gulp from the brown bottle. Yami watched him passively, cradling the glass in his hand tiredly. He didn't bother telling him about brain damage with underage drinking; TombRobber wouldn't care much for that. Instead, Yami sipped the amber liquid occupying his own bottle after swishing it around a moment.

"No, I just don't drink much."

"Too much of a goody-two shoes." TombRobber snarled, slamming the empty bottle down on the table before reaching for another. Yami did nothing to stop him, knowing that this would be an escape from the argument storming inside himself. He glanced at the three other empty bottles that had met the 5000 year old spirit's lips. Maybe it was those three bottles were actually getting the spirit to talk to him on somewhat 'friendly' terms. Yami smirked at the clearly intoxicated white-haired boy, wondering if on other circumstances if they could have been friends at some point.

"What are you smirking at, Pharaoh?" the once thief asked. Yami was amazed by how sober he sounded, but knew by the way his eyes twinkled and the swaying of his hand that he was indeed, drunk.

"You." He replied truthfully for once. The thief laughed, confirming Yami's assumption. And much to his own surprise Yami chuckled to himself. Maybe the beer was starting to get to him as well.

"We're running out of beer." TombRobber finally remarked, after his laughter, and took another long swig of his drink.

"I think you may have had enough, it wouldn't do us any good for you to have a hang over when plan A goes into full swing. I don't even know why I'm not sleeping to prepare myself." Yami said.

"…Hn, because I'm rubbing off on you, Pharaoh. I knew you'd eventually see it my way."

"Maybe in your dreams, thief."

"Nope, in my dreams you'd be dead." Some things never change. Yami didn't take it as an insult. He was far too amused by this new side of the Burglar.

"Oh? In your dreams, in what way would you kill me?" The robber thought about this for a second.

"You'd be getting ripped apart by the demons in the shadow realm very, very slowly, making you watch your friends suffering the same fate." Yami felt the back hairs on his neck raise, his royal nature suddenly missing; his eyes flickered with uneasiness for a few moments as he took a larger gulp than normal and forced the words out of his mind.

"Anything else?" He asked, lowering the rim of the bottle to his lips and taking another good sized sip. The Robber pondered drunkenly for a moment, before his lips finally spread into a sly smile.

"I'd bed the girl." Yami choked. TombRobber didn't notice, smiling wider as he visualized.

"Yes. I'd seduce her slowly at first, for a few days. Then when she least expected it, I'd pin her to the wall and ravish her. Make her want me enough to lure her into the bedroom. Then we'd-"

"Who is this?" Yami asked, trying to save himself from hearing the rest, after he finally regained his composure.

"Kaede Ryou. You implied it, Pharaoh; you should at least keep to your theories when you make them up."

"…I thought you said you didn't like her." TombRobber snorted and slammed down another empty bottle and grabbed the last full one.

"I'm surprised, Pharaoh. You've never believed anything I've said until now. And besides, I wonder, how could anyone not see her exotic beauty? Is it her baggy clothes that hides her wonderful shape and tasteful mind so well from the likes the males around her? Or is it the distraction of her idiot sister? And if so, why do I see it every single time I close my eyes. Why do I hear her light and mesmerizing voice echoing like a lullaby through my mind, driving me insane and yet coaxing me to sleep? Why do I wake in the middle of the night and want so desperately just to sit outside her door and listen to her breathe? Why do I want to actually sit down and cuddle with her? Hold her and stroke her, and sing to her? I ask you, why am I the only one that seems to respond?"

Yami just started at him, as he took another large gulp of his beer, watched his eyes swell and started in amazement at the tears slowly sliding down the teen's checks. Never before had he very seen or thought the thief could cry, and yet here he was, sitting at his table in his house, weeping before him in frustration, and heart break. Yami was surprised he even _had_ a heart. He was dumbstruck, now learning that it wasn't a simple thing of having pleasure with a woman, but actually loving her. He actually loved her. Love sick _for her_.

This was more of an effected than he had ever counted on. He hadn't even dared to dream of it.

"Because…" Yami said softly, waking from his trance as TombRobber downed half the bottle in his hand, surprised by the words being formed on his tongue.

"You love her." The Burglar wiped his eyes agitatedly, making his checks red with pressure, the bottle in hand, looking confused at Yami.

"Love? I can't."

"You do." Yami said softly, persistently. T.R frowned, his eyes reddened slightly, probably from lack of crying all these years.

"Death is close… damn that fortuneteller bitch." He growled, finishing the drink with a finally swig, bringing his arms onto the counter when he put the glass down and leaned heavily onto the table, and rested his forehead onto the table.

Yami waited a few moments for him to pick up his head, but found after ten minutes a small snore escaping his drinking buddy and heaved a sigh, wondering what he could have meant as he shoved his own half drunken bottle away. Fortuneteller bitch? Why would death be close if you loved someone? Yami shook his head and sighed.

"Should've asked sooner." He grumbled, before he noticed T.R slowly slipping off the counter. Yami caught him before he hit the floor and carried the poor teen up the stairs, grumbling despite himself. The spirit weighed far more than he looked.

Book Dragon " Please Review."


	25. Motive

Chapter 25: Motive

Kaede brushed her pale fingers along the side of the jagged hole, taking in the warm dessert blossom scent that wafted through it, ignoring the sticky blackness coating her fingers. She listened to the soft breathing of the spirit; deep inside herself she felt the tiniest prick of comfort come from that sound. She watched through that hole at the long stretching miles of sand, her eyes half open with due weariness, when suddenly her short attention was captured by a mass of small floating things in the distance.

Vigilantly, she watched with a small curiosity as they all came to her wall in short surges of the wind, until finally she could make out what they were.

Bubbles, thousands upon thousands of orange/ yellow bubbles caught on the dessert wind. Each sphere held a bit of sand, and yet it still floated much like a soap bubble. When one drifted lazily toward her, just to be in reach, she carefully shoved her arm through the dripping black opening and lightly captured the ball in the palm of her hand.

The moment she touched it, it sparked into a vivid light, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head as images suddenly flocked her vision.

(…)

_The room was dimly lit by two dull burning candles at opposite sides of the square billowing clothed walls, but the fires were far enough away that the red silk would not catch. The wind outside moaned violently even still, trying anyway to burn the tent down. The old woman, her hair a dark gray with a once beautiful tanned olive face clothed in light silk clothes and stones, who sat behind a light wooden table, only glanced casually at them, being far use to this already. She had been traveling for years now, taking her business where ever it called, simply following the winds to where the beaconed._

_The flap of cloth used as the door fluttered open by strong sandy gust of dessert air, letting in the cold night air as well as a small human figure, clothed in a dark red robe, worn and stained by travel, entered her hut. She didn't look up at her new customer, but let him draw forth to her table of his own free-will. The ones that came to her where the ones that deserved her services, not the ones with doubt. She listened to the sand shift under the person's feet and to the chair creak from their weight being placed on it before she lifted her ivy colored eyes. She was slightly surprised by the young boy looking back at her. _

_He was very young. His clothes were baggy, meant for an adult, not a child, but she could see he wore them more by choice than necessity. His bright white hair was very hard to miss, spiky and untamed on the boy's head, his face smooth, except for a small scar beneath his right eye. His eyes, she noticed, were not the brown orbs of a normal child. Nor did they look over the strange objects littering her table like a regular client. They were hard and rough, like they had seen far too much for such a short life. He had the eyes of a man that had been to battle and survived._

_She watched him with placidly as he reached into his oversized pocket and dropped a handful of gold coins onto the table, his expression stern and demanding, anger flickering in his eyes._

_"Tell my fortune." He commanded in a dark childish voice. The elder nodded indifferently, taking the coins without bothering to count them off the cluttered table and stashing them into her pouch. Usually she'd be suspicious of such a scene, a child asking her services with a lot more gold than normal, she had been scammed before in her younger days, but something was very different about him. _

_"Hold out your hand." She replied in a haggard old voice. He hesitated, but after a moment reached out gingerly across the table. He flinched as she grabbed his small hand with her own wrinkled hands and turned it forcefully over, palm up. She held his hand for a long time, her eyes studying the lines, before she finally pointed with the long blood-colored nail of her index finger at a certain wrinkle._

_"You have traveled many miles…you are on a quest?" The boy nodded slowly. The lady was silent for several more moments._

_"Someone has done wrong by you. You seek revenge of a certain man of power…a king, perhaps? And know you've come to seek my council?" He nodded again. She was silent for several more moments._

_"I can only tell you what I see in your future, young sir. I can not tell you of which direction you will take, but of how it will end. Are you sure you want to know of your fortune?" She always asked this of every single buyer she had ever had. It was her only warning, a sort of leave now while you still can. She wasn't shocked when the boy gave her a single nod. The young were always arrogant._

_"I see a man, a tall man, a vicious man. He had lived for many years and is cold at heart…I see this darkness falling to a bright fierce light. The young man with a thousand year old mind holds a ring of power, a strong weapon against the great evil; he will attempt to fight the King. The King of Hatred. He will meet his death only in the embrace of a woman he loves, when the light embraces the dark. The world will be justified when the light shall seek the darkness in a thief's clothing. When the seven objects of power are untied, the one thing most desired of the heart will be granted, and balance will be restored…"_

_The woman let go of the youth's hand, finishing her work, her expression now dreary and sad. She watched the boy's eyes flicker and dart as he comprehended the message, a riddle that will plague him for all his life until the very end, as all fortunes do. She was silent as he rose from the chair, gazing at the boy as he left, her expression telling anyone who could look at it clear enough that she knew full well he'd misunderstand it. All of those who seek the future do, and he was far younger than most._

(…)

Kaede let go of the sand-filled sphere with a look of deep sorrow on her face, watching it curious eyes as it floated away from the opening, and her pale slightly stained fingers. For what seemed like an eternity she simply stayed, her arm hung lazily inside of the opening, dark liquid dripping sluggishly on her arm, her head resting on the sticky wall, wearily waiting for time to pass, listening to the steady breathing of his deep slumber, wanting to dream her own dreams. Instead the grayness swallowed all of them up, including most of her memories. All she had were a few faint flickerings of the white haired man as 'Dad', a pretty brown haired girl with a lovely singing voice as 'Christa', a tall smirking spiky brown haired boy with a happy smile as 'Mat'. She did find however, one memory more than just a flicker, something she could reach out and hold for a time before it slipped out of her grasp. That was T.R.

For some reason it was far easier to hold onto what T.R was and how he acted than all the others. It was the only thing she actually felt other than this huge vague blankness. She wasn't sure what it was, but she found it far more appealing than the grayness. She clung to it in the mist, as she let her mind wander in the enchantment, lost with only an odd emotion to hold onto she didn't ponder about much. She just let the current take her.

It wasn't long before he spotted her. Bending down, he looked into the jagged space, past her arm, and onto her pretty face. Her eyes were closed, her breath soft and pleasant; she looked much like a china doll. Like something you'd want to cuddle with.

He smirked. Carefully, he attempted to press his arm through the remaining space, but found it impossible. He couldn't even get his hand over to the other side. Removing his black stained hand from the wall he instead, comforted himself by taking her limp arm and placing it around his chest, as the sand around his feet moved higher and higher up until he could sit down and have the bottom edge of the gap at the back of his head. He leaned back until his back met warm stone, and curled his fingers in hers as he carefully rested his head against her limp.

For a while after, he kept his eyes half closed, his cheek touching her skin, as her hair ruffled at her every exhale, studying the equally blackened but smaller hand in his own grasp, and smelling the strange earthy unique perfume that was hers and hers alone. He was oblivious so the countless yellow orbs dancing among the hot dessert wind, no longer plagued by the death filled memories for one peaceful night, being too intoxicated, whether it was her or the alcohol would never be truly known, until finally he closed his soft brown eyes and surrendered to the darkness, where he dreamed no more of this.

Complete and utter darkness greeted a similar pair of brown eyes, more like an oppressive monster than a serenity filled abyss. That blackness seemed to be like a huge eye it self. Lidless…all seeing…all knowing. He blinked once, and tried to remember where he was. Had he waken up on the floor of his bedroom again? Or could he be somewhere else, having blacked out again, and not being found as usual? He expected to hear Yugi's voice any minute now, either on the answering machine or above him somewhere, saying something like, 'Bakura, we're worried about you, we found you so and so…'. And he'd wake up enough to answer his dear friend with a sheepish nod or a somewhat blank stare, telling them he was fine, there was nothing to worry about, he knew exactly what he had been doing when he suddenly nodded off.

Only he never usually did. He had wondered where the countless hours had gone. Why he had awakened mornings to find mysterious scratches on his body, or why he felt so weak. He could barely believe how many times he had woken up, standing on his feet, not knowing where the hell he was, or what he was doing there in the first place.

He brought his hand to his face, but instead of finding tight soft skin of a young boy, his fingers brushed tough, slightly wrinkled skin, that of an aging man. He wondered for a moment, where that shy boy had disappeared to, a shocked scared moment, when suddenly the last thirty years hit him like a brick to the head.

He wasn't sixteen. He wasn't living in the home of a man that was never really there. He wasn't a young troubled bashful teen. He had grown. He'd grown up. He supplied super markets with their apples, he had married, he had children, and they had grown up but not under his watching eyes.

Be blinked again, and felt no tears prickling his eyes, for he was sure there were no more tears inside him to cry. Only the cool wooden floor of an old library his wife had once called home, to which he had called home. However, this miserable square piece of floor, separated from the rest of the room by gold glowing bars, now starting to tare through that blackness, was called a prison.

And outside that prison, just beyond his reach, slept his youngest child, his second daughter, inside a make shift bed made of green thorned vines. These vines, however, had been suddenly consumed by tiny buds all along their bodies, mostly likely to have grown in the night. Something that had not been there before. Her head was tilted off to once side, and a very faint, soft smile was placed on her lips, despite the tense danger surrounding her. Peaceful beneath her make shift boundary, as vines grew quietly through her hair.

Bakura blinked once more, as he lifted his aching body into a sitting position, not noticing the strange swelling of the dimness about him. His curious but numbed eyes observed as the first bud swelled and cracked open. Its pedals slowly opened, revealing the deepest darkest crimson color he had ever seen. He watched the remaining buds bloom in the same way, the last flower unlocking its morbid color beside her ear as a sharp blast of sunlight shot through the lightening dimness.

He looked up in between two of the bars, through the window, and sighted an orange orb rising slowly through the few trees, rising gracefully above the towering buildings, calling all things to rise from their dreams and meet the new day. It was a promise of fair weather, but not of a happy day. Bakura stared at its sphere shape with blank eyes, and a hollow heart. He looked back at his child the next moment, as an ominous pair of feet stalked the stairs, announcing the enemy like a dark lord. Or an evil prince.

The body of his son opened the door, but the smile of some darkness grinned at him when he was found awake. The boy wore a black shirt, blue jeans, the golden glowing rod shoved through on of his belt loops, the eye of the millennium item vigilantly staring, as he crossed the floor with his purple cape trailing. He held a familiar looking chest in his arms, cradling it to his chest like a mother with her new born, and stared at him with hazel eyes when he stopped a few feet from his daughter.

"And good-good morning to you, Daddy!" Mat's voice nearly shouted, piercing the silence that morning at brought like a gun shot.

"Don't call me that. Mat is my son, not you." Bakura said angrily. The boy turned back to him, a fake look of pain on his face.

"But I _am_ Mat, Dad." Bakura's look of contempt grew suddenly ice cold, as he stared at him, but still, the man said nothing. The boy smiled wickedly at this.

"Oh how easy it is to anger you, it's quite a lot of fun…but today, I can't play." He tisked, shaking his head slowly. Crouching, he placed the box at his feet with a low thump. He traced his fingers around the edge of the case, almost lovingly, before he flicked both switches up that held the box closed, and flipped the lid open with a creak.

When the boy's eyes sparked for a moment, Bakura's own interest in the contains of the box spiked, but when he tried to get a better look, the boy shut the chest with a snap and waved one finger at his father.

"No, no, no. Not yet. We don't want to ruin the surprise, now, do we?" The teen carefully shoved the box aside and rose to his feet, averting his insane gaze from him to the girl with instead a serious stare. He approached the mass of plant life cautiously, ignoring Bakura's vigilance, as he removed the rod from his side, sort of like a sword. He did not hold it out in front of him, or command any magic from the object. Instead, he carefully pulled the bottom of the rod from the sphere part, unveiling a very sharp looking blade pointing from out of it.

Bakura got to his feet, curiously wondering what he was going to do. Mat rose the blade to studied it with longing eyes, touching it to his brow for a moment, before turning back to Kaede with a look of a killer. Bakura was so close to the bars he could feel the negative energy coursing through it, trying so hard to harm him. It was uncomfortable, but it was as close to his daughter he could be.

"What are you doing?" He demanded. The boy glanced at him before smiling slightly. A cold shiver traveled down Bakura's spine like a jolt, the hairs on the back of his neck rising in warning.

And before Bakura could even blink, the boy had lunged at the mass of greenery and stabbed at the heart of the mess once. He watched in horror as his daughter jerked back from the force and found his scream locked inside his completely sealed throat. Mat sliced again, horizontally, and again, mercilessly with a placid look, hacking away, until finally he swiped one finally stroke diagonally and swept the blade away.

Bakura stared at her face, waiting for a stream of blood to escape her lips, or perhaps a scream of anguish, with his own tearing aghast eyes. Neither came. Instead, the so called killer waited patiently one more moment, before the body tipped forward and fell through a mess of dripping sticky slices of plant stuff. She was caught easily, her eyes still closed, but the smile missing from her lips, as the boy sheathed the blade, and stuffed it into his back pocket, as he held the girl on his shoulder. Now seeing her fully, Bakura saw no blood on her anywhere, no cuts, no stab wound. Suddenly confused, he looked back at Mat, who was now looking at him again with a smile on his face.

"You didn't actually think I'd kill her did you?" He asked mockingly, laughing at the tears that suddenly splashed on the man's face at that question.

"She's too important to be killed…too…_special_…She is the only one with the key to what I want."

"And," Bakura asked with a dark weeping look of sorrow, "What is that?"

The look he received from him was one of complete wickedness and pleasure. The boy opened his mouth, and finally, after many hours of asking, answered that horrible question.

"A body."

Book Dragon: "Please Review!"


	26. Morning of the Last Day

Book Dragon: "Thank you for the reviews!"

Chapter 26: Morning of the Last Day

_"Why are you crying, Mom?"_

_"…Don't you worry about that. Come here and sit by me." The small girl about at the age of eight hesitated, her hazel eyes soft and innocent. She stood in a brightly lit door way. You could hear murmuring from outside in the hall and an occasional voice over the loud speaker, the owner usually a pretty girl in a strange coat decorated with happy things like cartoon cats or doctor instruments._

_Then slowly she approached the side of the bed, looking up at the older woman smiling reassuringly at her, holding her hand out. A machine pinged loudly in both their ears. She stared frightfully at the long tube strung across the woman's upper lip, sticking little openings into her nose._

_After a moment the girl took it and climbed carefully onto the white sheets. When she was finally settled, for a heartbeat, hazel eyes just stared into hazel eyes. The older set was aged, the same color as the bark of an old oak. The younger looked more worried and scared._

_"Shhhh…" The woman cooed gently to her child, squeezing the smaller version of her husband's hand with her own withering white hand, and looked at the girl's face. The smile on her was fragile, her face paper white and almost unreal. It was like staring into the face of a ghost. _

_"Did you do anything fun this week?" asked the woman. The girl shook her head no. The woman frowned. It was like watching glass shatter._

_"Oh." A moment of silence passed, and then slowly the woman turned. Her brown hair swished, as if brushing the air away from her shoulders, as she reached toward the window sill. The girl looked over, watching gravely as the ghost like fingers clasped the green pot of the small maple tree with slight awe. Her Aunt had brought the tree in about three weeks ago. It had been a tiny seedling then, housed in a seven inch high pot. Now it was about the length of her forearm and growing strongly. The woman smiled at her expression._

_"It's been going quite nicely, but I'll admit I was helping it along." The woman placed it gently on her lap, a look of relief flowing through her eyes. Her hands trembled slightly, but she forced a smile, before she noticed how her daughter was staring so closely at the plant. The smile morphed into a smirk._

_"He's a chatter box isn't he?" The daughter looked up, startled, and then after a moment, nodded silently. The woman regarded the plant with a quick scan, like she was sizing it up._

_"He'll be planted when this is all over…Tell me, Kaede, what does he say?" The girl, Kaede, looked up at her mother._

_"…He says…it's faint…it always is." Kaede said, her voice choked slightly, her eyes starting to tear in frustration. The woman was quick to comfort her._

_"It's alright, sweetheart. It'll come soon…I promise." She patted her daughter's hand. Still Kaede looked away, a look of defeat in her eyes._

_"It _will_ come." Ryelle said with a stronger voice. For a short while they were silent. Then the woman spoke again._

_"I…want to talk to you. To tell you some things…" Kaede turned back toward her mother, giving her full attention._

_"I have told your brother and sister some things, but only these words will remain with you. And only you. Do you understand?" The stern quality of her tone was enough to say with was very important. She was never this stern. Kaede nodded silently. Ryelle's face relaxed._

_"Good…" She replied in a gentle voice, "Listen well, Kaede. I can only say this once." The woman paused, before staring straight into Kaede's eyes, as if piercing her soul._

_"…There will be times in the future when you might be scared…do not fear, sweetheart, because you will never be alone. Your family will protect you, no matter what. And you must take care of them. You can be strong, but don't forget to be gentle or kind. Don't forget to love. Think before you do, and remember power must be handled carefully because for you, my daughter, it will be like a sprout. It will grow. If you use it lightly, you could hurt more than just your family. Do you understand, Kaede?" The girl froze, still caught in her mother's gaze before she nodded slowly. Ryelle's face softened._

_"Well done, and now, I have a gift for you." Before Kaede could ask what kind of gift it was, Ryelle took her hand and made it flat before she shoved her fingers roughly into the soil of the potted plant. Dirt spilled silently onto the clean white blankets of the bed as she dove deeper, her eyes concentrating and serious. _

_ Kaede started in fright and confusion as her mother's full arm was now submerged in a seven inch height container of soil and not coming out the bottom. It should have been physically impossible. Kaede tried not to wonder where the rest of her arm was. Ryelle didn't notice the uncertainty of her daughter, with her eyes pointed to the sky, as if too busy feeling around for something. After a second or two of this, something bright and strong flickered through her eyes. A steady look success filled her features as she pulled her arm fully from where ever it had been. Kaede was sure it had been somewhere, beyond that bottom of a pot._

_ Daughter watched silently as Ryelle put the plant back on the window sill with her clean hand while the other dirt caked hand held something tightly in its fist. Then she looked back to her Kaede._

_"Are you ready, sweetheart?" Kaede nodded. Ryelle grinned._

_"Open your hand." Gingerly, Kaede opened her hand and stretched it toward her mother. It shook slightly. Ryelle nodded to it once before swinging her clenched fist toward the small palm and dumped the contents of it._

_ A pile of soil sat squarely into the center of her hand, looking like a rounded black pyramid, when something radiant burned. A dark emerald green light suddenly penetrated the small cracks, the small openings the dirt left, and glowed like a firefly. Looking closer, Kaede saw it looked something like a round marble. _

_ She was about to look up to her mother questioningly when a eerie tingling sensation bursted into her palm and suddenly like a raging green fire, minus the heat, traveled down her arm. She tried to drop it, but her fingers curled around it protectively. She sucked in a large amount of breath suddenly as it that green tingling spread over her like a cool ocean. Plunging her deep as if past water and deep, deep into the warmness of the earth._

_ And for a brief moment, she saw the light of an oak tree shinning at her._

_ Kaede blinked. It was gone. _

_ Slightly shaken, Kaede looked up at her mother but instead of finding her sitting up, Ryelle was instead lying back with sweat covering her brow. Suddenly now, her hazel eyes were not as bright._

_"Don't worry, sweetheart. Your hands will know what to do…"_

Then suddenly the memory was shattered, blowing apart like a thousand glass shards as TombRobber opened his eyes to the sound of sirens. Loud, irritating sirens. Head pounding sirens. Slowly he sat up on the bed, not having time to wonder how he had gotten here when the worst possible pain attacked the center of his brain. In agony, he gripped his head and closed his eyes tight against the throbbing.

Someone yelled. He heard shuffling from the other rooms. The sirens were roaring. Oh the pain they were creating was horrible…

Angrily, yet weakly, he rose from the bed and stumbled toward the door, keeping his eyes closed and bracing his poor head to the insane amount of noise. Gritting his teeth he opened the door and nearly slammed it shut again from the increase of noise. Oh his poor head… Pissed he screamed at the top of his lungs over the din.

"WILL SOMEONE SHUT THAT FUCKING SIREN OFF?"

Yami sighed tiredly at the bellow occurring up stairs and looked quietly at Kaiba standing next to him, clearly just as tired and angry. They were both still in pajamas and letting the cold in while the idiot police man standing in front of them yelled at his younger partner, a rookie, to shut the damn sirens off.

After about ten minutes of yelling, the sirens finally went off and the rookie in the front seat seemed to be trying to hide from all of their gaze in embarrassment. They all ignored him.

"Sorry about that." The man answered gruffly. Yami and Kaiba said nothing. Kaiba stared at him with an expression that basically said, 'This better be good.'

"Um, you are Seto Kaiba, correct?"

"Yes."

"Is your son currently here?" Puzzled by the question Yami glanced at Javas standing in the back ground. The boy sunk out of view.

"Yes, why?" Kaiba asked in a growl. The police man adjusted his collar nervously.

"Ah, well…your son has been charged with disturbing the peace and-"

"Who in the hell is makin' so much noise?" Joey asked sleepily as he came to the door, looking over Yami's head as he scratched his own tiredly. Kaiba seemed a bit disturbed by the motions, almost haunted. Joey was too tired to notice. There was a brief silence. In that time the police man went from nervous to suddenly very furious.

"YOU!" Joey looked sharply at him and sighed.

"Oh no, not you again."

"You've been charged with leaving the scene of a crime-"

"Crime? What crime? I was only speeding."

"Speeding is an offense! You risk not only your life and the lives of other people!"

"It was an emergency. You didn't expect me to hang around all day while you tried to get the better of me…"

"How dare you-"

"Will the two of you shut up!" Kaiba interrupted agitatedly, silencing the strange argument, "What does any of this have to do with _my_ son?" The cop straightened a bit and coughed.

"Well, sir, your son was caught disturbing traffic and creating a scene on a public street, many citizens have complained that he-"

"Javas!" Yami watched the boy flinch somewhere behind him in the corner of his eye. The teen's uneasy voice wafted over to them.

"Y-yes?"

"Could you come here a minute, please?" Kaiba's voice was dangerously low. The urge to back away from him was nipping even at Yami. The officer and Joey where still glaring at each other when Javas pushed to the front of the crowd, very nervous. He stared at his shoes.

"Javas?" He flinched at his father's voice.

"Yes?"

"Is it true what this man is saying?"

"…yes." Javas said sadly. The man in the doorway smiled smugly. Kaiba put an arm around the boy's shoulders and looked up at the man standing in the doorway.

"Have any of them pressed charges?" He asked quietly. The officer blinked.

"Ah, no, but-"

"Then why are you wasting my time?" He retorted treacherously, glaring down at the man. The smile instantly faded from his face.

"Well, we-"

"Is this some plot to get my boy in trouble? It is, isn't it!"

"Well, no-"

"You know I could sue you for that, don't you? Do you think you'd survive after that, do you?" The man, with an expression that looked almost weak now, and was hastily backing away.

"No, Mister Kaiba. I'm sorry to disturb you- FRANK! START THE CAR! I apologize for your inconvenience…" He kept backing up until he was half way to his cruiser, to which he turned so quickly it was almost blurred and jogged to it. When he was getting in the driver door, Joey yelled angrily.

"Yeah! Not so tough now, are yea?" The cop glared at him.

"Shut up, Wheeler." Kaiba growled furiously, still glaring at the cop as he drove away pretty fast. When he was out of sight, Kaiba turned and pulling the astonished looking Javas away from the open door walked into the house. Kaiba spoke rather calmly.

"Please don't tell your mother, I don't like her to worry…"

"…Yes, Dad."

"And never do that again."

"Okay."

Yami, still a bit confused, shut the door, wondering what all that had been about as Joey started yelling, telling Kaiba not to tell him to shut up. Soon he was too busy trying to keep Joey away from the CEO due to dog comment. Something's never really change…

Book Dragon: "Please Review."


	27. The Quest Begins

Book Dragon: "Hey, thank you for the reviews…This is my last already written chapter…I'm currently working on the next, so it may take a little longer than usual to post it, just to warn you…"

Chapter 27: The Quest Begins

They ate very slowly, all of them silent. It would be today that they would try to get them back. In the morning. They had decided that if they arrived then it would be unexpected. Still, Yami was wondering if they'd have to postpone anyway.

TombRobber was clutching his head as he tried to eat the toast in his hand, Javas seemed stunned, Joey still half a sleep, and both he and Kaiba felt exhausted. Only Marik, Isis, and Shadi seemed to be alright so far. Yami sighed inwardly as he stirred his coffee, looking at Yugi through the stem. His counter part also looked stressed. Yami knew he was going to ask to come with them. It was what he was dreading. He wanted Yugi to stay here, safe. If he were to die, then at least Yugi would live. That's how it worked with these bodies. If the copy went down, the original lived, if the original when down, both where destroyed.

Yami sipped the brown liquid and watched Christa enter the room. She smiled in Javas's direction as she went to one of the cabinets and politely asked Yugi if she could have something to eat. Kaiba was glancing at the redness that had just flushed to his son's checks, but did not saying anything. Yami was interested to find TombRobber completely uncaring.

When breakfast was done, they went about their ways. Joey got up and went looking for his jacket, not before messing up Javas's hair with his hand. The boy started after him, a little confused, but rose moments later, looking expectedly at his father as he waited. Yami got up and went looking for his duel deck. He noticed how Yugi followed him, but said nothing.

When he came back to the kitchen, clothed, armed, and feeling slightly better, Yami looked at the wide open briefcase and Kaiba taking out a number of gadgets. Javas had a pair of headphones on, with a speaker close to his mouth with his own computer open. Kaiba was putting on his own headphones as he glanced at Yami, flipping his own computer open, and spoke to his son.

"Did she give you the basic layout?"

"Yes."

"Good. Email it to me."

"Okay." Yami looked up to find Joey entering the room, his leather jacket on fully, a look of determination in his eyes. Something else to worry about. He turned to Marik, who was also fully clothed, his duel deck at his side, and smiled.

"Did you eat yet?" Yami asked as Joey sat down with the biggest bowl in the house. The biker then grabbed the nearest cereal box and emptied it without a word.

"That's a no." Marik muttered checking that his duel disk worked, trying to avoid the blonde's gaze. Javas watched the Wheeler shoveling down his meal with round eyes, unaware that Kaiba was rolling his. Christa's giggling broke the boy's stare. Yami sipped his coffee and knew exactly what Joey was going to say even before he paused his rapid food shoveling.

"We're all going to need our strength when we go."

"Joey, it's dangerous-"

"I don't _care_! Bakura was my friend, too, and last time I checked friends support each other! We've been through worse as kids."

"That's the point, Joe." Yugi said quietly, "We're not kids anymore. There's magic to deal with as well, and you don't have an item to protect you."

"I've got my deck, and that's never failed me."

"How are playing cards going to help you?" Christa interjected. For a minute, no one said anything. She sounded disbelieving. Yami put his coffee down, trying to think of an answer when the TombRobber spoke.

"They have power, here, my dear." She glanced over at him, curious.

"Power? How?"

"Their based on an ancient game that was so powerful it could defeat Pharaohs, which is why it was sealed away for a time. It came back strong about thirty years ago. People forgot as they grew older." Yami ignored the bait and said nothing.

"You're going to need all the help you can get, Pharaoh. I suggest you take him with you." T.R continued airily. Yami narrowed his eyes. Why would the thief say that? He wanted Joey dead too. Anything to get some pain out of him for revenge…or perhaps not. That would be too direct. The pharaoh noted the avoidance of the robber's gaze and dared to wonder if he was actually trying to help. It was Kaede that was also in danger after all…

"There is safety in numbers." Yugi agreed, unexpectedly. Yami looked at him sharply.

_"I want to go too."_ Yugi thought loudly in Yami's mind.

_"…You might get hurt…"_ Yami sent back. He had almost lost his vessel once. It had not been a fun experience. Ever since that moment he had jealously guarded him from all harm possible. Like the fierce love an older brother has for his younger. Yugi started at him sternly, though sympathetic.

_"We can go in your body, if it makes you feel better."_ Yami stared. They never tried that before. Leave the original vessel here and use the copy. If the copy goes that Yugi can get back. Only one soul needs to go with the death of a body. If push came to shove, he could force his lighter half out into safety. It was tempting. Seeing the flickering light in Yugi's eyes, Yami also knew that if he didn't let him come, he'd come anyway. It would be easier to keep him safe that way…

_"Alright then."_ Yugi smiled grandly.

_"But you must promise me one thing."_ The smile faded slightly.

_"Yes?"_

_"If anything should happen to us, you _must_ go back."_

_"…Yami-"_

_"Promise." _His light squirmed.

_"…I promise." _

(…)

The teenage boy walked around his sister in tight circles. His eyes scanned her zombie like expression and slouching depressed stance with icy vigilance. He tapped the rod in his hand impatiently as he thought to himself. Never once did the girl stir from her dazed trance. It made the father growl.

He was ignored. Carefully, the boy took one last prowl around her, before backing off. Bakura watched his cloaked form take stocking steps toward the chest he had laid out, right in front of the great apple tree, between two large roots, positioned ten feet in front of her. He knelt, stroked the top of the case for a brief moment, and then unhinged both clasps of it with a loud click.

For a moment, he paused, and then slowly, he lifted the cover.

Bakura stared as black cloth swirled out of the polished case in his son's nimble hands, his breath catching as a thousand different memories filled his mind at a single moment. His eyes clouded over as the familiar scent tickled his nose, images flashing like rapid fire. A woman laughing. Green hawk wings. Whispering. Wedding bells.

A cool dark laughter shook him from those images. The man blinked his brown eyes and found the cape fluttering swiftly around his daughter's form, and stilled on her back. The boy gently removed her hair from beneath the velvet midnight, and with agile fingers he took the two black strings around her neck and hummed as he tied a bow. The girl stood motionless. He smiled wider when his work was finished and took his sister lightly by the shoulders and lowered to her height.

"Are you ready sister? It's time to do something _wonderful_…" For a moment she was still. Then she nodded.

A cryptic smile met his lips.

(…)

The sun was high in the plain blue sky as four shadows where painted themselves across the grass. They moved in swift determined strides, three tall looming shadows and one short one leading they way. In reality, however, five spirits traveled together.

Each of those five different consciousnesses preserved the large red bricked building standing proudly a head of them, topped with a massive cap of green. An innocent looking building, but each could feel the dark swirling about them. It prickled at their skin and tried to force them back, but the white-haired boy simply slashed through them with the great cloud of controlled hatred swimming dangerously with in him.

And this is what the boy saw, coming toward his newly made fortress through the highest window, to which he stood watching, his fingers tapping the sill as his mind whirled with thoughts, plans, and ideas as a steady smirk filled his face.

"Do you see this, Matsimela? You sister has some fans…" He whispered, his other hand tightening around the rod protectively. The vessel inside himself struggled deep, deep, deep inside himself. The spirit smiled coolly. There was nothing to fear; he had locked the boy so deep he wouldn't have the strength to break through. Still, he enjoyed torturing him, so he had left a one way channel that let him hear everything, feel all that he felt. He chuckled softly.

"Looks like I'll be able to show you the joy of killing soon…what say you, my Vessel?"

Silent thrashing was all he needed to know the answer.

Book Dragon: "Please review."


	28. Fun House

Chapter 28: Fun House

Even though the sun was shinning bright and the grass was a vivid shade of bright green, there was still a darkness in the air. The three millennium item holders felt it, a slow distinct swirling in the pits of their senses, something that a normal person could easily miss, but not for them. The dark energies in the items had unlocked that sense.

For T.R, he felt quite at home with in it. He breathed in slowly, savoring the distinct smell inside his noise, and exhaled just the same. It reminded him of the days of old, before the mighty Pharaoh had locked all that magic away. It reminded him of his thieving and conniving self. Felt it ripple smoothly from his chest into his arms and legs, and he couldn't keep a smirk from his face.

He took more pleasure in that fact, that when he glanced, the others squirmed. A look of uneasiness had crept into the faces of Marik and Joey. They looked up upon the crimson bricked building as if it were something to be cautious of. In that sense, they were correct, since they both did not currently carry anything to protect themselves. No items sheltered them. He and the Pharaoh, alone, were the only ones that did.

He couldn't help but notice the strange way the Pharaoh's dark purple eyes glowed while staring upon that sight. He looked more like a man about to return to something he had known and long missed, instead of a serious and stern invader. The thief watched this light flecked in his eyes and wondered what could have put him in such a good mood.

Glancing down at the puzzle was enough of an answer. He was holding the object with both hands, something T.R had never seen him do, and saw the way his eyes flickered to his shoulder, more like he was listening to someone instead of standing here, with them, looking up at the house.

The smile vanishing from his face, T.R knew that his analogy had been far closer than he had expected.

"I don't sense any traps…out here, anyway." Marik said, stuffing his hands into his pockets and glanced at Yami with his own purple orbs. He, too, had noticed Yami's odd behavior, but he knew it wasn't the time to question it.

Joey flinched at Marik's voice when he broke the silence, further souring the Robber's mood. Yami appeared not to hear them for a moment. Then, as if he had reached some agreement with in his inner mind, he nodded, and led them down the drive, Marik and Joey at his sides, TombRobber at the back of the line. It took the white-headed boy much restraint to remain back there.

They reached the door with no difficulties placed before them, and the four stood on the front step, staring door. Yami was doing more than staring. Marik felt the tentative power pressed against the door, and around the ear piece that was bothering him as he waited.

When Yami found nothing hazardous, he gingerly reached out and closed his hand upon the knob. Nothing happened. Carefully, the Pharaoh proceeded to turn the knob, but found it jerked to a stop and would turn no further. A little annoyed, he turned back to the others.

"It's locked." He declared. Before he asked if anyone had thought to bring a key, TombRobber, who had been fidgeting at the back of the group, roughly shoved Joey aside.

"Get out of my way." He growled, as he plunged his hand into his pocket. With a flick of his finger, the blade of the pocketknife came to view, to which he jammed into the door. Marik and Joey watched TombRobber jiggle and prod about the inside of the handle, a little taken back that he had helped so willingly, yet all Yami could do was smirk.

After a few moments, the knob made a loud click. Before anyone could yell or tell him to stop, the Robber slammed his hand down upon it and twisted. The door opened under the force of his arm. It slammed ninety degrees into a wall.

The three men behind him stared with disbelief.

A rumble of hanging coats and jackets met their sight, all assorted on a rack. Shoes littered the floor. A light bulb hung about two feet into the space and swung slightly, exposing a tight walled space.

They were staring into a closet.

"What the hell?" Joey asked, in disbelief, looking at the outside of the building, and then back into the doorway, the front door, that lead to a narrow closet. His question, how ever, was drowned out when the Robber snarled, storming into the room, and clawed all of the coats out of the way, letting them fall to the ground loudly. He was greeted with a bare cream colored wall.

They stared.

"That doesn't make any sense." Joey said, repeating his disbelief. Marik walked past him, past the robber, and touched the wall with gentle fingers, as if to prove it was actually there. When he was met with cool wood like substance, he turned back and looked at Yami.

"This is definitely not an illusion." He said, his eyes calculating.

"What does that mean?" Joey asked. TombRobber growled at the mortal's constant questioning.

"It means he has rearranged the interior rooms of the house, you fool." Joey blinked. Rearranged? Could he do that? Looking inside the tiny room in front of him said that he indeed could. He moved the closet so that the front door opened to it. Which meant that they could walk through a door and end up somewhere completely different?

"I guess that means the front door is out." Joey said.

"We can see that." T.R snarled at him.

"Anybody got any other ideas?" Marik asked. Yami thought for a moment, his eyes darting over the house, until they settled on the window about ten feet away. That would do nicely.

(…)

Kaiba drummed his fingers on the table, staring at his laptop, a headset hugged over the top of his head. He was waiting. He was not known to be a patient man. He wouldn't have minded having a cigarette right now. Still, he didn't see the point in going out and getting one. He had promised Javas he would help, and that would be disappointing him if he just left like that.

Still, the CEO would've liked it if Yami would move it.

Javas, a chair away from his father, had noticed his agitated state, and was trying very hard not to be detected. He knew equally well how his father's temper faired when he had to wait, and it was his fault that he was making his father wait at the moment. Javas couldn't help his slight ducking posture as he tapped the speaker on his own headset, seeing if it were indeed on.

He got the _donk, donk, donk_, loud in his ears, winced slightly, and couldn't help but hear his father snort. Sheepishly, he glanced at his father, who had been watching him, and smiled awkwardly, to which he got an ocean eyed blink, and the CEO turned away, to look back at his own laptop. Somehow, it was disheartening. Javas frowned a little, and turned back to his own screen, where his reflection wasn't the only one that greeted him.

He jumped, nervously, and glanced back at Christa nervously; saw her smile at him before letting his eyes dart back to the screen anxiously. There was something very unnerving about her. Made him sickenly uneasy. Yet, rather than to dwell on it with his father so close by, he tried to shove down those edgy feelings and focus at the task at hand. It was much harder than he had expected.

(…)

There was something strange happening. Kaede could feel it. It rippled from somewhere in her chest and moved out of her body in waves. She was unconsidered, yet she closed and opened her hand several times, staring at it. She looked at both her hands, pale and small, normal looking, and yet not.

She was slightly puzzled by this 'not' and continued to study her hands. She had wide palms, and medium lengthen fingers. Strong hands. Hands for crafting, making, creating.

_"Your father's hands…"_ a voice whispered in her thoughts. Curious…and yet true.

_"Your father made figurines for his games, he was very talented."_ the voice whispered again, quietly, tenderly. Yes…he played a role playing game. A game he loved. He loved. The words 'white mage' flew to her mind, yet, she didn't know quiet what they had to do with this strange memory.

"Who are you?" She whispered placidly, her tone only sacredly inquisitive. But before an answer could be told, a very different voice broke the strangeness of the moment.

"Soon…Soon, Kaede, be patient. Sleep now, child."

She had to obey.

(…)

The window opened easily. Tomb Robber had agreed to go first into the house since he was the most trained for battle with the shadow powers. Or that's what Yami said. The burglar, personally, would've liked to rip his throat out at being so mocking. Both the Pharaoh and he knew what was really going on. And it angered him.

But that was better saved for what he'd do to the man keeping the girl when he got his hands on him.

"What do you see?" Yami asked from bellow. The window had proved to higher, red brick built up high enough so that only the tops of their heads could reach it. Sure, they could easily lift themselves up and over into the window, but it was too high to actually see over from where they were standing. T.R was crouched, and balanced on the ledge above them.

He would've curtly replied if he wasn't hit with a strong scent. A familiar scent. He was surprised it had lingered so strong since he had left with the child a week ago. Or it could've been something else he didn't want to admit. The inner workings of her bedroom lay out before him, everything exactly as it was before they had left, the bed, the rug, the dresser, the chair, everything, except a little more faded looking. And her distinct smell covering everything.

He swallowed once, tried to keep himself from breathing, in vain of course, try to keep that odor out of his nose. He faltered when Yami's voice asked him again, more stern and commanding this time. The thief's nose was again flooded with that aroma as he breathed in to speak.

"It's the girl's bed room." He said curtly, and tried to suppress a shudder. He could taste it in his mouth.

"Which one?" Joey asked confused. But Yami had already picked up on the Spirit's odd behavior. Rather than force the Robber to answer, he spoke for him.

"Kaede's." The ancient king said softly. He regarded the thief with dark knowing eyes for a moment; let him have a few more moments, before pressing on.

"Is there anything to be worried about?" Yami asked, loudly. There was a pause.

"No." He answered above him, before the 'youth' jumped into the ledge and out of sight.

That being enough of an answer, Yami allowed himself to go next. If anything was in fact, unsafe, he's be the one to face it since he had the puzzle. He doubted that TombRobber would actually help them if anything did happen; after all, he was tied to the Ryou's, not them.

He found climbing up a little more difficult than he had expected, heard Yugi laughing in the corner of his ear, and couldn't help but smile at his old state. He was still giddy. He had missed this, deeply. He had missed Yugi's mind being so close. He had missed talking to him, having him explore his soul room, dueling with him. He had missed sharing a body. And now that it was back, that his vessel was so close, he felt strangely lighthearted.

Yet, as he pulled his foot up and placed it onto the sill, his arms holding him up and in, he caught sight of the TombRobber, standing in the middle of the room, and the feeling evaporated.

His back to him, his white hair spiked uncontrollably, and his fists were clenched, his arm muscles tensed and his feet apart. He reminded him of a cat, when it was frightened or agitated, how its fur would stand straight up. It brought Yugi's laughter to a halt, made his vessel immediately uneasy. Yami had to calm him with quiet words. It reminded him that he had not told him of what he had witnessed between the Spirit and Bakura's daughter, and now wasn't the time to explain.

He lowered himself into the room, slowly, as not to disturb him. The thief was clearly in deep thought, or at least internally struggling with himself. Yami rose to his feet, and looked around, saw the cream-colored walls, the blue blankets, the green rug stretched over a wood floor.

Through the mirror on the dresser, Yami could see T.R was staring down, down at the containers and bottles scattered beneath it, his gaze clouded, brow furrowed. Like he was remembering something. Yami had never seen such a look dare touch upon his face. It was rather unsettling. The Pharaoh quickly moved his eyes away, to make it seem like he hadn't noticed.

"TombRobber?" The Spirit shook out of his state with a snort.

"I was double checking the room." He retorted, defensively, his voice agitated, before stuffing his hands in his pockets and taking out his apathetic mask. Yami didn't question this.

Marik followed after Yami assured him it was fine, then Joey. The four of them looked around the room, scanning the bedroom, finding the same things Yami had found. Joey grunted.

"This place is like a fun house." He said, his tone already annoyed.

"I don't think we've seen anything yet." Marik replied.

The four of them had all noticed the same thing. There were two doors to go through. Two paths they could take. One was the closet. The other, obviously, was the door out of the room. The four looked between both doors cautiously.

The rooms were shuffled, like a deck of cards. Those touched by Egyptian magic could smell it, taste it, feel it in the very air. Heavy magic was working here. It buried the natural order of things. Two paths. Two door ways. A decision to be made.

"That one." Joey and T.R said at the exact same time, each pointing to opposite doors. Looking back at each other, they both immediately glared.

Feeling a fight coming on, the Pharaoh wisely interjected.

"We'll split up, but first we need to contact Kaiba." With this, he made eye contact with Marik, nodded at him. Both men lifted their hands to their ears and turned a switch on the device, winced at the exact moment a loud buzz blared in their ear, and heard the CEO's voice.

"I don't know _how_ much longer it will take, girl, be patient."

"I have a name you know."

"I'm sure you do."

"Why are you being so prickly?" Only static remained after that comment. Yami immediately started laughing. Some crashing from the other line came on, making the Pharaoh wince more that buzzing zip slamming into his ear drum. Then their was more scrapping and Kaiba's out of breath voice came loud in his ear.

"What the hell took you so long!"

"The front door was... blocked…is everything alright over there?"

"Everything's just fine, just some technical difficulties."

"I didn't know falling out of your chair was a technical difficulty." A female voice said in the distance. That was Christa.

"Quiet you." Growled Kaiba. Yami blinked and struggled not to laugh as the image of Kaiba tipping over in his chair and falling straight on his ass onto the floor swarmed inside the Pharaoh's mind. Deciding to change the subject before the oncoming laughter could deepen, Yami spoke.

"Kaiba, those maps of the house aren't going to help us now. He's rearranged the rooms."

"Yeah and it's like a fun house in here!" Joey yelled, for a second time, so the CEO could hear him. He was rewarded by a swift kick from Marik.

"Shut up! You want them to find us?" He asked in a growl, pressing the ear piece as he scowled at the blonde. Yami ignored them for a minute, listening intently to the other line.

"So what would you have me do instead?" Kaiba asked irritated. Yami could here a drumming noise and assumed it was his fingers drumming on the table. He tried to stay calm and not get annoyed himself.

"We're going to split up. There are two doors here; we'll go in groups of two. We're going to need you and Javas to tell us if the other is in trouble, or perhaps, found the attic and their location."

"Oh that's well thought out and original." Kaiba remarked sarcastically. Yami ignored him.

"Just stand by." He told the CEO, knowing full well that meant just keep waiting. That was punishment in itself, and Yami knew this. He tried hard not to smile at the imagined scowl on Kaiba's face at having to twiddle his thumbs again.

Yami looked at Marik again, who had been listening to what Kaiba said through the set that was linked to Javas, and nodded. He already knew he'd be paired with the TombRobber and that Yami who go with Joey. That way, each group had an item for protection, it separated Joey and Bakura from each other, both got to go their own way, and it would be a quicker approach to finding them.

It couldn't have been any better.

Book Dragon: "Please Review."


	29. The Paths

Chapter 29: The Paths

Marik and Bakura moved slowly. The closet door had revealed a long stretching hallway, yet for some strange reason, all the doors were missing. All they could see were door frames in nice rectangle shapes, framing in more cream colored wall. It stretched on and on, seeming to have no end almost, and to make matters even worse, their was no light except that from the flash light Marik had found under the child's bed.

The thought of her made him wince and wonder why he had let his son even know where such a dangerous object was in his house. If he had never told him, Bakura and his family would've been safe now, and not in such a position. The guilt tore at him. Yet, he hoped with all his heart that things would turn out fine, and he would do anything in his power to make that so.

Including risking this hallway with his former partner.

Marik glanced at Bakura at the thought of this. He and Yami knew when Joey and Bakura disagreed about the doors that they would be splitting up in this fashion. They both knew the risk. Yet, Marik could see no other choice. It was better him here than Joey, after all. Bakura may be the only one with an item, but Marik at least new a little about the ancient magics, could detect them. He wasn't blind in that respect.

This was a little advantage. He knew that if anything happened to them that Yami would protect Joey with his item. Unfortunately, Marik wasn't so sure that the same courtesy would be passed to him from Bakura. Bakura had no reason to safe him if anything were to happen. He was only loyal to the Ryous, and that was only by force. If he was attacked, Marik had the strange suspicious feeling that Bakura would just watch him be…

The man tried to shove this thought away, and swallowed as he kept the light pointing in front of him, Bakura walking calmly and silently at his side. Or perhaps Stalking was a better word for it, for the teen made no sound. Marik was rather impressed by this. Then again, he had been a TombRobber, had he not? Such skills would've been necessary back then. He should know, being a Tomb Keeper. On the inside he couldn't help but laugh. The partnering of a TombRobber and a Tomb Keeper, two of the greatest enemies. It was ridiculous, yet it happened now, twice.

The light dimmed. Marik halted in alarm at it. Even as he stopped the light from the flashlight was fading quickly. His heart beat quicken slightly as he hit the thing, trying to spark some life into it. The thief halted a few paces in front of him, his face turned in his direction. Marik could see that through the corner of his eye as he focused on the only source of light, a dull ember now, until finally it burned out completely.

In the dark his heart hammered. He could hear it in his ears. Feel it in his arms. His eyes were wide as they tried to perceive something in the blackness, tried to see, but only found dark and shadow was indestructible. He felt panic at the edges of his mind and wondered why. He had been born in darkness; he had lived in the cryptic black of a tomb for all of his childhood. Why was he frightened now?

A hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. Marik jumped immediately his heart almost torn out of his chest as he grabbed back at the thing with his free hand. His breath was heavy, and it took him a moment to figure out it was Bakura.

"My night vision is better than yours." The thief commented in a whisper, his tone clearly suggesting he had enjoyed scaring him, yet it sounded like a yell since Marik's ears had tripled in strength from loosing his eyesight. Still, he struggled to make out the form of the Robber and kept failing miserably as he was led forward.

"Why?" Marik asked, uncomfortable with the silence. He felt brown eyes glancing in his direction in the pause. There was a chuckle, a dark sinister chuckle. Marik gulped and wondered if this was any better.

"You should know, Tomb Keeper, one's eyes have to be adjusted to the darkness to see properly, especially while walking in the tombs of kings and the place is heavily booby trapped…"

"You must feel right at home." Marik remarked. He sensed a devious smirk as dark chuckling tickled the air around his ears.

"You're correct." The Spirit whispered. He sensed the smirk widening considerably. All he could hear was the pattering of his own heart and his own footsteps. He was blind and he couldn't help but notice how much he was depending on the Spirit of the ring now and couldn't help but feel slightly frightened.

He was scared enough where his mind was playing trick on him. He couldn't help but notice that there were shapes, darker than the blackness, if possible, in the corners of his eyes, yet when he tried to look all he saw was black. His head turned several times trying to see it, but his ears gave nothing away. He didn't feel the vibration of footsteps on the floor. It was just the dark getting the better of him.

He opened his mouth to ask Bakura if he was seeing this when a loud chattering made him freeze.

"What was that?" He asked. He couldn't keep the fright from his voice. His heart pounded in his ears.

"What was what?" Asked the thief coolly in front of him. Realizing he hadn't heard it, that if he missed it then it couldn't possibly be there, Marik shook off the fear and told himself he was over reacting.

"N-nothing." He said, not able to keep the shudder from his voice.

They kept walking. And the shapes died down for a time. Marik listened to the nothingness surrounding him, blinking incessantly, trying to adjust his eyes, and failing, letting Bakura's hand keep his wrist. Then after what seemed like moments, they were back. But Bakura's grip showed no sign of tensing. Marik could hear more noises coming from somewhere around him, yet he couldn't pin point them. Still, Bakura's grip showed no sign of alarm.

Marik closed his eyes and told himself it wasn't there. Yet, he couldn't ignore the smell that suddenly became apparent to him. A sharp repulsive rotting flesh stench that Marik flinched at. No, it was all in his mind. His millennium senses told him of no danger, yet he couldn't help but shiver as he felt a warm wind in his face.

Suddenly he tripped. He wasn't sure what on but his toe was stubbed, and he found himself falling forward, felt it. Being on such edge his reflexes were superior, and flailing his arms out wildly he caught the back of his comrade to keep himself up.

But his hands didn't meet the cloth of a shirt. Instead he was touching something smooth, like silk. Startled Marik froze, trying to figure out what that was. Wasn't Bakura wearing a cotton shirt? The sudden overwhelming fright at not knowing what that was paralyzed him to the spot, locked his breath deep in his chest.

It shifted, the silk smoothness leaving his fingers, and suddenly he could see light. Two large glowing crimson orbs. A chattering hiss splattered out in front of him, the warm breath returning and the flesh rotting smell coming back strongly.

His eyes widening in fright as realization whipped over him. Marik attempted to run away, but found he was yanked back by his hand. He pulled harder and harder, finding the hand around his wrist not a hand but something else, something smoother and warm and hade no fingers. He fought against it harder and harder, his heart a war drum and his mind screaming in panic as his other hand was wrapped in this silk skin.

Without his hands he found himself with out the ear piece at his disposal, which meant to couldn't ask for help from Yami, or even warn him now. Not that he would be able to come in time to help him. With no other weapons Marik tried to use one of his feet to kick the thing the thing in desperation. He swung and found instead it was firmly caught and something wrapped up his leg past his knee.

Unable to keep his balance he fell down, hard, and yelped but found himself unable to scream. He felt the warm sticky rotting odor in his face again and knew he was going to die. There was no other way out. He was down and he felt a heavy weight on him keeping him down. And all he could think about was how angry he was that the TombRobber had abandoned him, left him to die alone in the dark to this unknown thing, and the picture of his beautiful wife and son.

(…)

Yami found himself standing in the middle of the bathroom with Joey standing at his side, looking around inside the room, and looking back to the open door leading back to the bedroom. There were no other doors to use. Joey was furious.

"He tricked me into picking this room!" He growled agitatedly. It was clearly a dead-end. Yami couldn't help but notice the tub was full of water as well as the sink and the mirror was fogged up. It felt like a sauna in there. He pulled at his collar at the heat.

"Now what do we do?" Joey asked him.

"I'm not sure." Yami replied. He eyed the bathtub warily. Something wasn't right here. The water in the tub and sink were clear and their was no sign of danger, yet his skin crawled uncomfortably. Joey, in a fit of anger, slammed the bathroom door and blotted out the view of the bedroom. Yami considered his old friend, but said nothing off it. He listened to Yugi talk in his mind.

_"I don't like this…"_

_"Neither do I."_ Yami agreed. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he looked over the room again. Joey sat down on the lid of the toilet, looking frustrated and disgruntled. Obviously he didn't want to go back and follow Marik and Bakura. Yami had to smile slightly. Even after thirty years Joey had changed very little.

Then something caught his eye.

The mirror was no longer completely fogged. It showed bits of his face were letters were carved out, regularly printed letters in smooth rounded lines. Lines created by a finger. The letters spelled one word.

**Greetings **

"You do that?" Joey asked quietly. Yami glanced at him, finding he too held a look of surprise. Yami shook his head no, the suspicion in him rising. As they spoke they watched the words fade back into grayish fog over the glass. They waited a moment, unsure of what to do next, when a bunch of other letters appeared again, all at once in rapid succession.

**Are you friends of the madam?**

Yami and Joey glanced at each other uncertainly. Before Yami could make up his mind to leave the room and out of potential danger, Yugi's voice filled his ears.

_"Write 'Yes' on the glass."_ Deciding not to question his vessel, he leaned forward in the deepest caution and with a hesitant finger, wrote Y E S on the mirror when the question faded. He watched his own answer fade and was replaced by another message.

**Then there is not much time. **

Yami quickly wrote 'Why' as Joey rose from his seat and leaned over Yami's shoulder. The answer returned in the same swiftness.

**He forces her** was the only reply. Yami read the message with a graveness. Joey growled slightly at those words. The ancient king pressed his finger against the cold mirror like substance and started writing again. He already knew to which it was mentioning, and this was probably some sort of warning. Or a trap. Still he wrote the words quickly.

'Who are you?' There was a pause.

**I was once called Beore**

(…)

Then, just as all hope was lost, a brilliant blast of brightness temporarily blinded him. He screamed and shut his eyes a moment too late. The silhouette of a monstrous black humanoid creature was burned into his vision. A great whooshing roar was hurting his ears as well as a high pitched banshee like scream. He gritted his teeth in the pain, but somehow with his hands he felt the smoothness loosening, felt bits and pieces of speck like dust falling on him. The weight on his chest seemed to evaporate.

When he opened his eyes he was plagued with thousands of little blue dots, much like when someone flashing a camera at you when you're looking at the bulb but much worse. He blinked several times, watching most of them dissipate. All except for a gold one. It took him several moments to realize it was the Ring.

Just as he realized this the glow brightened extensively, and Marik found himself squinting at another humanoid shape. This one was familiar though. When they adjusted further, Marik found Bakura dark brown eyes staring at him through the glow, his hand clutching the object and pointing it out in front of him slightly.

He could understand why his eyes hadn't adjusted before. They had, actually, but the large shape of the blackish creature that was what he had been staring at. When the light went out it must have taken his hand instead of Bakura, mimicked his voice. It kept him from being able to see. The shapes in the corners of his eyes had been Bakura, the thief, moving stealthily behind him. He must have waited until he caught the thing off guard before blasting it. But why would he do that?

Bakura, seeing his friend's puzzled expression, only looked at him with deep dark brown eyes. He spoke with a soft voice, one that was rather annoyed, before turning and starting down the hall, knowing full well the Tomb Keeper would catch up to him quickly.

"You're no good to me dead."

Book Dragon: "Please Review."


	30. Into the Jungle

Book Dragon: "Sorry. School's been hell and I had writer's block. This probably won't update every three days again, though I have an idea where this will be going so don't worry. I promise I will finish this. I have the ending already written out. Please be patient. And Thank You for the Reviews!"

Chapter 30: Into the Jungle

Silence.

Yami stared at the words. There was something clearly unsettling about them. His skin prickled and goose-bumped even with the humidity around them, feeling a sudden chilling trickling in his veins. Yugi didn't speak. There was no sound for a second as that strange uneasy feeling washed over him until Joey broke it.

"Who the hell is Beore?" Yami didn't answer him. He stood rigidly staring a blank stare. The question was not 'who' but more of a _what._ He raised his finger to ask how she, he, or _it_ knew Kaede when more words swept the surface of the mirror.

**The Black Emperor rises. King of Sand must find madam before It eats. Behind mirror is passage to other room. Luck Good. Good Bye.**

Yami watched the words vanish in front of him and stared at the empty fogged up glass as the feeling of discomfort increased insanely. The words were echoing in his head like ringing bells. Ringing dark bells.

_"…Eats?"_ Yugi asked inside the chambers of his mind. Eats.

"Yami?" The Egyptian King, the King of dessert, the King of Sand, woke from his trance and looked at the man next to him. It had been concern in his questioning voice. He waved his hand, saying in the gesture he was fine when he really wasn't. He wondered for the first time if this might actually be bigger than he had originally thought. And if so how large? He didn't know. All he knew was that when Joey opened the mirror, where you'd usually find toothbrushes and painkiller when your head hurt like hell the next morning after a crazy party, there was now a dim lit thing and a passage barely big enough for them to squeeze through.

He sighed, knowing that at least in a small way this wasn't his going to be his day.

(…)

He was sick of finding dead ends. The TombRobber stormed his way down the black hallway, his Ring clenched in his palm and pointing ahead of him, ending gold light up at his face and making him look more monstrous than thought possible. His rage was thick and deep. Not even Javas asking if they were fine and if he could do anything changed his direction of thinking. Nope. It was very deep; too deep to even be needling Marik, who would jump at every shift in shadow and kept annoyingly close behind him. The man was unsettled, and that was understandable. He'd feel better when they were in the light, were his eyes were better, and he had his rod back. Then he'd be as right as rain.

TombRobber expected him to have better night vision than that. He had grown up underground for Ra's sake. It was probably a spell that was making the black more black than usual. He was protected with his Ring, but Marik was left bare. He'd would've been messing with his head had he been in a lighter mood. He wasn't. He was closing to killing someone. The thought of killing the stranger was making a sinister smile peel out onto his face. He forced himself that he had been worried because this Earthy Magical shit had played around with his emotions. Like a little kid pulling a puppet apart by the strings.

His pace was fast, and Marik had to jog even with his longer stride. All he wanted, T.R found, was to get the girl back, to rip who ever took her away to shreds very, very, slowly. Break free from this idiot bond. Kill Bakura. Kill the Pharaoh. Rule the world. And have his way with-

A sliver of light blinked into sight. T.R bolted toward it, leaving Marik momentarily panicked, just for a moment, until he broke out into sprinting as well. He followed the bobbing light source a head of him, feeling better at the light crack, and suddenly started by the force and sickening noise the door made under the pressure of T.R's foot. The door caved easily and Marik was met with a blast of light that made his heart leap.

(…)

Yami climbed down from the open cabinet, careful not to step on the smashed bits of plates. Joey was flexing his shoulders, which Yami found himself doing soon after. Being stuck in a two by two foot crawl space for ten minutes was enough to start his early case of arthritis in his hands and make his back a little uncomfortable.

"Did you have to make a mess?" He asked the blonde, trying get out of the disaster area. Joey stopped clicking his hands and raised them over his head.

"How else was I going to get out? I couldn't pass them back to you."

"Shoving them out onto the floor was the best solution?"

"Seemed like it at the time." They had been Bakura's best plates. Yami rolled his eyes, but decided not to argue. He knew, that Joey knew, that the sudden noise had made him jump out of the conversation with Yugi as well as the deep thought process he was in, had made him slam his head against the top of the passage and made him see stars. Joey was nice enough not to point that out, so he decided no one needed to know about that. Like Kaiba.

"What the hell was that!" Kaiba's voice buzzed in his ear. Yami and Joey looked at each other.

"Some plates fell." Yami replied.

"Why?" Joey shrugged at him, but the grin on his face was growing too quickly.

"Only way to get out." The Pharaoh muttered. There was silence from the other end of the line. Before Kaiba could ask the question of how the hell they ended up coming out of the kitchen cabinet, the loudest bang in the door came out behind them, and Yami found himself dodging a fast moving body. It narrowly missed him, slipped on the shards of broken clay and hit the floor like a sack of flower with an unearthly thud.

Looking down he saw it was a very fuming TombRobber sprawled on his back and nearly laughed his ass off.

"Watch out, there are broken plates on the floor." Joey said a little too late, the grin now fully on his face.

"I…noticed." Robber said in a curt grunt, looking up at the ceiling with madness brimming in his eyes. Yami decided to hide the smile on his face by pretending to cough, covering his mouth, and walk toward the door in which Marik was hurrying up out of the dark abyss. He was glad. The look of the door closing was comforting.

The edgy look on Marik's face, sadly, was not.

"What happened to you?" Joey asked as Bakura slowly rolled over onto his side with a silent groan. Marik shrugged, looking at Joey with the look of a man saved from doom and simply smiled.

"Long story." He said wearily. By this time Yami had regained his composure and T.R was up and dusting himself off, pretending that slipping on plates and falling down like an idiot didn't just happen to him. Joey made no comment; the grin just came back.

"Where to now?" Joey asked, "Should we try the refrigerator next?" T.R and Marik just stared at him. Yami rolled his eyes and decided, again, just not to say anything.

Instead, he went to the other door, the one that usually would've led into the family room, but who knows where the hell it went now, being carefully not to disturb the chairs or anything else that might blow up or what have you if it were moved, and gingerly placed his hand on the door knob. It turned easily.

A wall of green stalks met his vision, wild and over grown, and unyielding to what could be behind them, though of course, he had a funny feeling that it would just be more plants behind them. Like a Jungle.

"Green House." He heard Joey say boredly. Before anyone could suggest finding another way, the unsheathing sound of a knife made Yami turn. TombRobber was coming at him, his eyes filled with a barely contained madness. A butcher knife was clenched in his right hand.

Yami was out of his way in a flash.

The stalks came down like confetti as Bakura took two wide and powerful slashes at them and stepped through the opening, disappearing into the greenness. The other three adults just looked at each other and silently agreed that, yes; following was the better idea and did just that.

They followed wordlessly as a tiny amount of the rage shimmering in the boy was taken out on the forest of long lime green shoots, all of which fell easily at his hand and make-shift machete. Sap was thick on the sharp end of the blade and he was starting to get more than splattered with the sticky stuff. Yami thought it looked too much like blood splatter to watch him for long. He kept his eyes and ears open to the green wall-like plants around them.

(…)

Kaiba drummed his fingers on the table, his blue eyes filled with a fierce irritation as he told himself that, yes, she would shut up eventually. She would. She had to. How else was she going to breath probably? She couldn't just go on and on and on like that. There was no way. No. Damn. Way.

He cracked after five minutes.

"-and I couldn't figure out why Matt was being such an ass at the time, you probably wouldn't know, Javas, you're too sweet like that-"

"WILL YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!" Silence. Javas and Christa looked up at him with round eyes. His hands were pressed on the table, and the cup of coffee was dangerously near the edge of the table as he stood bent over it. When he stopped shaking he sat down, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes and listened to nothing. Listened to bliss. Silence was bliss. It was-

"-is your dad always so up tight?"

A coffee mug smashed against the wall.

(…)

"I think we're going in circles."

"We can't be going in circles. We'd find the path we made."

"Can't the house just make it grow back or something?" No comment. If anything else was said, Yami didn't catch it due to the loud buzz in his ear as Kaiba came back.

"Tell me your close." Growled his voice. Yami paused at the tone, unsure whether to tell the truth or lie. That tone couldn't be good.

"Uh…"

"MR. KAIBA THREW A MUG AT ME!" wailed a high pitched female voice and was followed by sobbing. Oh yes, lying was much better.

"We're close." Yami replied. He could hear Javas trying to calm her down in the background, around Kaiba's strange breathing, while wondering how exactly to shut off the ear piece and if Kaiba would have him killed after he did it.

"You better be." He hoped he was. The only thing that could result from Kaiba being this angry would be a murdered girl or his whole house destroyed. He was beginning to like Christa a little more. She was actually stepping on his toes enough so that he showed it.

He was grinning despite himself.

Though, that was wiped off is face when Marik yelled.

Book Dragon: "As always, please Review!"


	31. Family Tree

Book Dragon: "Sorry I haven't updated. Trying to bring this to a close. Please be patient with me. Thank you for waiting. I am going to finish this story. Thank you for the reviews!"

Chapter 31: Family Tree

He turned, but wasn't quick enough. Something long instantly wormed around his stomach and lifted him with ease into the air. Started, he grabbed the thing as not to fall and found it smooth yet rubbery. His mind seemed to have gone dead with confusion as he looked down. The message from his mind finally got to his befuddled brain. It was green. An emerald green smooth rope. Yet, there was something wrong with that.

"YAMI!" Joey's panicked voice shot through the blurry perplexity.

The Pharaoh twisted his head around toward his friend, turned toward his left, and found the motorcyclist warped with two coils of the green, trapping his arms to his sides. The blonde was staring at him with great brown eyes and gritted teeth. Yami looked at the green rope, looked at how it held him upright and led down to the ground and didn't end there. As he followed its snaking and twisting green form, he started to see through the mist of his mind, something that his mind hadn't allowed right away.

He found the great green base. At least as wide of the trunk of a great elm, stretching up, up, up high, higher, until Yami's eyes founded the end of it. At that, his body finally registered the fact that the rope, no, _plant_ was moving him forward. Closer to the base. Closer to the horrible overgrown bud at the end of it. A jaded-greenish red bud that was blossoming. Something that wasn't a bud at all.

Yami watched as the bud-thing widened the split down the center of it. Watched the bud lower that widening opening in his direction. Saw the great needle like thorns sticking out of the edges of that great gap and knew what was going to happen.

Saw that it was the biggest Venus Fly Trap he had ever seen.

(…)

Kaiba poured himself another mug of coffee. Black this time. He left it on the counter and reached up and opened the cabinets above that counter. He searched through them for some time with only the sounds of the bumping boxes and the whispering in the other room. Female whispering.

He had a headache. He was going to strangle Yugi when he got back. The same going for Bakura for making such an annoying creature. It was his daughter after all. His pale fingers finally paused on what he had been searching for. A cool smile slipped quietly onto his lips as he took the glass bottle down and placed it silently on the counter.

He uncorked the bottle, and poured some of the clear-looking liquid into the mug.

"If I have to stay here," he said to himself more than anyone else in this empty kitchen, "then I'd rather my son think I'm getting addicted to coffee." He put the bottle of vodka where he found it and took his Irish coffee with him.

He walked back to the family room, where he moved all his equipment after he had turned the TV on to try and distract the girl, feeling tired an annoyed at doing nothing for so long. Feeling more like a babysitter with each passing minute that went by. He noticed at how the wary look crossed over Christa's eyes and had to shove down a smile as he sat down in front of his computer. Her silence only lasted a sweet moment, before she started chirping back at his son. Kaiba wondered how in the hell Javas was taking it and decided he was more patient, like his mother. He was starting to feel bad for him.

He took several sips of his Irish coffee and hoped to god that Yami would get back soon.

(…)

Yami struggled in the green binding. Struggled with all his might to free himself. But it was no use. The tentacle like plant vine was holding him too tightly. He was as powerless as he had been when Kaede had captured him. It was rather ironic, and it would've been funny if he wasn't going to be eaten in a few minutes.

Through the corner of his eye he could see Marik fighting just as strongly and failing. Even if he had the rod with him, at that moment, he wouldn't have been able to use it. He was bound just like Joey. Yami turned his head as far as he could backwards and caught the slightest glimpse of Bakura.

He was slashing at the one that had encircled around his waist. He had been ready when the snaking plants had attacked. Yami was about to call to him when two more vines lashed out like whips and encircled his arms. The Thief King growled, and pulled with all his might to stay with his arms inward towards his chest, fighting, and loosing. Eventually, his arms were pulled taught outward and away from the vine around his waist that was now coiling itself around him vigorously. He was screaming thousands of different curses in the ancient Egyptian tongue.

Yami turned back to the awaiting mouth of the only carnivorous plant known to man and couldn't believe it was going to end like this. Even his Puzzle was completely useless to him. He had fought off the end of the world with on a dozen cases, defeated enemies that seemed immortal, and beat the odds so many times he couldn't remember them all.

And now he was going to be eaten by a plant.

He didn't stop struggling. He kicked the vine supporting him around his legs as much as he could, but it did no damage. He wasn't going to give up. He wanted to go down fighting at least. He was yelling at Yugi to go in his mind. Bellowing with his entire mind.

But he wouldn't budge.

_"I'm not leaving you."_

_"You promised!"_ Yami growled back at him.

_"I don't believe this is the end."_ Yugi replied.

_"Not for you if you leave!"_ Yami yelled. The opening laced with needle-like teeth was closing in now. He would be devoured shortly. If Yugi didn't leave in a few seconds he wouldn't be leaving at all. And yet, he still felt his vessel. Snug and deep inside himself. Waiting.

_"Yugi, please…"_ Yami begged. He could feel the beginning of tears prickling his eyes. This was madness. He promised he wouldn't put him in danger again. And now he was going to kill him.

Yugi suddenly laughed. It was a well-humored chuckle. Yami was sure he had lost his mind.

_"Yami, it's a plant."_

_"It's going to kill us."_

_"No, it won't."_

_"Yugi-"_

Suddenly, a mere foot away from the giant open mouth, the vine's slow movement halted. This close, he could see the blackness that led into the gullet of the plant, past the teeth and tongue of the-

Yami froze with the curiosity that some feel when death is too close. He was stuck with the wondering that the doomed often feel before they die. He had never heard of a Venus Fly Trap having a tongue. Was this a mutated plant made especially from the villain behind all this just for them? As some final twisted away of ending the game?

The purple tongue suddenly moved.

**_"Are you the King of Sands?"_**

Yami stared in amazement, barely aware of the silence behind him. Joey and Marik had halted and were staring the same way the Pharaoh was staring. TombRobber was still gritting his teeth, not very impressed, and wondered why it had to get their attention like this.

Yami couldn't hear that silence due to the light chuckling in his head that belong to Yugi. He had been right. Looking at it right then, with the pressure off, he finally figured out what his light had meant. It was a plant. The only person that could change the plants was Kaede herself. And she wouldn't have tried to harm them in anyway.

The vine under him creaked suddenly.

**_"Well are you or not?"_** flicked the great purple tongue of the plant. His amazement widened at the fact that it was actually annoyed for a moment before Yugi told him to say yes.

"Yes!" Yami yelled.

**_"It's about time you got here."_** The thing snapped, irritated.

**_"Beore woke me up just to get you three sun stretches ago. I don't appreciate having to change into this form, and the sooner I deliver you and your kin to the Lady's side, the sooner I can take my place against the great red cliff that you call the side of this house and go back to my regular duties."_** It took Yami a couple of seconds to figure out what to say next. What do you say to a giant plant?

"I'm sorry to, er, hear about that." Yami replied, as humbly as he could. He felt the vine under his shudder and groan as he, Marik, Joey, and Bakura where shaken, slightly, as the great plant uprooted itself, and started to form great knobs at the bottom of it's other major vines.

"How long will it take to get to the 'Lady's' side my I ask?" TombRobber asked in a shouted snarl.

**_"Two sun stretches and give or take a half."_** said the Vine, the one that had once helped Kaede escape from the bathroom window a week ago, not really answering any of the humans' questions at all. It lifted one of the knobbed vines forward, letting the other seven follow, taking it slowly across the room. Walking like a giant spider.

No one said anything for a couple of minutes.

"So where is Kaede, I mean, the Lady?" Yami asked above the thudding booming sounds of the thing's movement.

**_"At the Highest point, for you humans. Apparently, you don't climb walls as well as we plants do and the Black Emperor made it so that was the only way to reach his lair. He uses air to ascend to his stair. Since Beore was sure you couldn't do the same, he wisely sent me to do the job for you."_**

"Who the hell is Beore?" TombRobber asked viciously. He had never heard of his character that knew Kaede. It made him tense and angry, and secretly worried, because of it. And deeper down than that, to the point where he didn't know it existed, jealousy created that anger. Yami, sensing that feeling from the thief, would've smiled if he, himself hadn't been so curious.

**_"Beore was the First of the Great Oaks. You would call him a King. He is one of the Eight Great Ones. Their force is so powerful that they can grow into any tree form they desire. They Die and Wither only to return again. In your words, they can not truly die until the Mother perishes. Humans call her Earth. Beore is one of Her Eight Children."_** The Vine explained, not stopping since it knew humans were so curious of things they did not know or understand. It didn't feel like answering many questions. TombRobber was annoyed, not having his question answered in his sense. He reworded himself quiet bluntly.

"What would he want with Kaede!" He demanded with a seething tone that made Marik shiver. He had never seen him so angry before. Yami was staring with a strange sense of wonder at the boy, pondering how deep these feelings actually went, and how oblivious the Burglar was to them.

The Vine was quick to snarl back at him, apparently being able to house the same anger at being yelled at so rudely.

**_"Beore would be considered with the safety of Lady Kaede, Daughter of Lady Ryelle, who was the Adopted Daughter of Acer , The First of the Great Maples, who is Beore's only Sister, the only Sister in the Great Eight, the Youngest of the Eight. Beore would be concerned about his Great Niece, wouldn't he?"_**

Book Dragon: "Please review."


	32. Attic Arrival

Book Dragon: "Updated!"

Chapter 32: Attic Arrival

A steady calm voice kept whispering. Whispering cooingly. Whispering inside the strange dark abyss inside; deep, deep, deep down. Behind closed eyelids. Behind a pale face framed by snow white hair. Inside the sleeping child.

Kaede was confused by it, walking down the twisting gray hallway, her hand brushing against the smooth stone colored surface. She followed the weaving downward path, walking straight down and spiraling. She wasn't falling. Something gravity shouldn't have allowed at all. Just following the sound of that voice that was familiar. So very familiar. Whispering in a foreign tongue.

The doorway loomed, gray and folding in on itself. She felt along the wall as she walked up the side of the wall, the ceiling, around back to the ground, following that eerie path, until, finally she lingered in the frame of it and listened. Listened to soft singing.

Inhuman singing.

(…)

"We're almost there." Kaiba glared at the microphone he was speaking into with the fury he had been feeling for the past hour. It was about god damn time they called! As every minute passed, he felt more and more like he was wasting his time. Javas pretended to be invisible in the other room with Christa, Kaiba knew. He knew his boy was trying to hide and didn't blame him.

"Good. I'm getting sick of baby sitting."

"But you're so good with children, Kaiba." Joey's voice said in the background, mockingly.

"Well, your sister is good at having them." He said bitterly. There was silence on the other line. Probably shock. Kaiba found himself smirking smugly at the silent buzz, with his arms crossed and eyes closed. Then there was an explosion of yelling and noise, to which Kaiba started laughing at darkly. He continued to listen with amusement as Yami tried to wrestle Joey away from the microphone.

"Joey! Stop! You're going to-" He kept laughing until a very different voice suddenly started shouting.

**_"STOP YOUR STUGGLING YOU, MEAT BAG!" _**Kaiba found himself wincing, gritting his teeth hard enough for it to hurt, and stared with wild eyes without really looking at anything around him.

"What the HELL was that!" He found himself yelling over the speaker angrily. He used anger to cover the sudden misty fright crawling in his body as he gripped the headset to the point where he could hear the plastic frame creaking under the pressure of his white fist clamped around it.

At first, there was no sound, then:

"…It's our escort." Yami replied slowly. Kaiba was relieved. For a second there, he thought it was actually something serious.

"You're escort sounds like he has a tongue like cardboard."

"Something like that. Kaiba, listen, keep Javas and Christa in the house. Our…escort as just informed us that…a friend of ours is looking after the both of you there." Kaiba was quickly at the window at those words, peering through one of the corners of the shades, before figuring he looked like an idiot and quickly flapping the shade open.

No one was outside.

"What kind of joke is that? I don't see anyone out there."

"Trust me Kaiba, someone's watching. Got to go."

"Yami-" deadline.

Kaiba rolled his eyes annoyed and flipped the microphone up out of his vision, before looking around the kitchen for more coffee, and liquor. After about ten minutes he was pouring himself some nice tea, he had drank all the coffee, glancing out the window every few seconds, seeing movement out of the corners of his eyes, swearing he could see something moving out there, but every time he looked there was nothing. After another ten minutes he took finally glance out the window before going back into the living room, while wondering to himself rather comically.

When did Yami plant that small birch tree in the front yard?

(…)

"That's my sister he's talking about…" Joey said, grumbling to himself, arms crossed, as they ascended a wall in the north, ignoring the huge plant bud with the needle teeth.

"We know, you've only said it several thousand times."

Marik retorted, rolling his eyes annoyed while propping his head up with his hand, his elbow leaning on the hung green bulging vine holding him around his chest. It had been forty-five minutes and they had only moved about fifty feet, more of it up a wall. It had been cool for the first ten minutes, but then he got bored.

Yami was busy asking questions. Many questions. He felt Yugi's curiosity like an expanding area in his head, felt and looked like his vessel all over, and had to suppress a grin and remain serious. He gripped the vine supporting him, and leaned over it as he spoke, asking all the questions he and Yugi thought up. History mostly. Why, how, when. It was interesting, and strange.

It seemed the original eight had been chopped down to seven. Acer had recently gone missing after she accepted Ryelle as her daughter. The seven brothers seemed…torn about. They asked how several times but their 'escort' couldn't quite explain it so they understood. All they knew was that Acer was missing, and Ryelle had been marked by her, and now Kaede was marked. They didn't get what being marked actually meant, and that was something else that wasn't being explained. It was puzzling.

All the while, Yami was relieved to find the thief was asleep. The white haired boy had his head tilted back; feet dangling limply, his mouth open a little yet not snoring very loudly. In his crossed arms, he had the knife clenched tightly in his fist.

Yet, Yami kept looking at the green circle around those white locks, extremely visible, that he was only really seeing for the first time. They looked to be growing out of his head, like he was some twisted chia-pet. But they weren't a true emerald green anymore. They looked like they were changing color. Changing to a darker reddish tinge at the very edges. It reminded him of the fall. Hauntingly so.

When the trap door came insight, he was quick to yell at the sleeping child, knowing full well he'd be pissed if he did later.

"THIEF!" T.R jerked awkwardly. Eyes flying open and righting himself immediately, knife clenched in his fist tighter and out in a stance. When he found no danger, he looked irritated at the Pharaoh. It was the first time he had had a some what restful sleep, and he had to ruin it. Why did the Pharaoh ruin everything?

"What?" He growled at those smug purples eyes watching him.

"We're close." He announced. T.R's anger twisted from him to the stranger holding his vessel captive and how much he would take pleasure in gutting him. In the back of his mind, his subconscious started on a different path, where his heart hid quietly. Eyes brown eyes lit with a strange light.

"How close, Pharaoh?"

"I'd say about five minutes…you look a bit eager." The gleam in his eyes drained a bit.

"What?"

"Eager, I said you looked a bit excited. Why?" He looked at him for a moment, blankly, before his face changed into a wicked grin and laughed like a demon. The turning leaves bobbed on his head.

"Why shouldn't I get excited? I get to create some bloodshed!" His eyes gleamed brighter at that. Yami stared at him, seeing the addicted murder he had first seen so very long ago, wondering strangely if he had indeed changed in some way. Any weaker man would've faltered under such a blood thirsty look.

"And Kaede?" Yami asked this a little softer. T.R looked at him sharply at the mention of her name, wondering why the Pharaoh would ask such a thing, annoyed by it. He didn't answer, but chose to look away from those piercing eyes as his mind started down the road he really didn't want to go down.

Yes, what about his vessel? It was because of her that he was about to kill, wasn't it? It was strange. Was she not the reason he was so angry? He felt a little knotted up and willed the feeling away to something he could accept.

"She's my vessel, Pharaoh. Mine. No one steals anything from me and gets away with it. Not the Thief King." He growled quietly. There was no comment to this. Yami just stared at him for a few minutes, before turning his head back forward, showing his back to him. The Thief King pictured throwing the knife right into that blue clothed back, pictured it so clearly and vividly, the blood splashing, the head rocking forward, and surprised blank purple eyes. He felt better.

They arrived at the door.

**_"My job ends here."_**

"Thank you." Yami said in reply to the big toothy maw. The eyeless creature was silent for a moment, before chuckling.

**_"Don't get withered."_** Yami took this as the equivalent as, 'don't get killed'.

"We'll try not to." The door, an oak brown, was slammed open by one green crooked vine as they were all hoisted up fast, making them feel like they lost their stomach somewhere along the way.

It was smooth and quick, they rose up through the hole, looking like they were almost riding leaping green snakes, before he where placed gently down on the boarded floor and uncoiled just a quick. A few seconds later, the green vines were all gone, and they were standing, a little shakily, in a vast room.

It was then that Yami realized that he had never been up here. Bakura and Ryelle had never showed him this place before, this place where his wife had called home for several months after her first arrival here. It was bright with large grand windows, but that light was turned into a hazy green from the many leaves it passed through to get to them.

The canopy of a large tree had grown in the wall of all the windows, trying to get the most sunlight as possible to keeping growing and surviving. Its massive form took up a lot of the south wall, trunk at least twenty arm spans around, branches wide and dipping as to house all those leaves, and the many apples hanging, dangling, and falling to the ground every once in awhile.

He looked at that tree admiringly, aware that Ryelle had crafted it accidentally once, many, many years ago. It was very well made, even on accident, in his standards. He felt like saying so when something dark caught his eyes. Something swinging that didn't belong in that street. The edges of a black cape fluttered behind them, teasingly, like a huge signal flag.

A pair of shoes.


	33. The Choice

Chapter 33: The Choice

The wind was blissfully soft and comforting. The song was incoherent having no understandable words, just creaking pitches and warm fluttery like sounds. The type to lull one to sleep. There was no need for words; Kaede could hear the emotion dripping from it like the sap pouring from a wounded tree. Sorrow interweaving into pain and…

Longing?

Yet these emotions meant nothing, seemed like nothing, were nothing. The girl stared with the bleak bored expression, so doped up on strong suppressing magic that the normal soul wouldn't have been able to breathe, let alone think.

Brown glazed eyes watched the humanoid figure blankly, moving, twisting, changing in an elegant dance never witness by human eyes. Never would be. It took her a moment to see the curve of its hips under the clothed leaven skirt, twirling morosely, and medium length maroon hair swishing in the strong gush of wind made of that tangled speak.

It was female.

"Who are you?" Kaede asked in her monotone voice. The woman stopped, or what Kaede took as a woman. She was shaped more mature than a girl. The humming vocal song, that inhuman sorrow stopped, as her elegant form twisted, turned slowly towards her.

Emerald eyes peeked at her.

(…)

Yami watched, not being able to understand for a moment why TombRobber was in front of him, running far faster than he had ever seen him towards that tree, knife waving dangerously. Or why everything was suddenly so quiet, why he could hear the blood pumping behind his ears. Dimly he was aware he was in shock, but too dimly to really think about it.

What did wake him was the worried bellow.

"DON'T GO NEAR THERE!" He turned painfully slow towards the voice in what his mind was making into slow motion, turning, turning, turning. Until his sight met the haggard form of a white haired man, staring with wide brown eyes, haunted wild eyes, his face turned up in warning horror. Bakura.

A loud bang was next to catch his attention, and twisted around much faster than before, as time caught up with him, in just enough time to watch T.R go flying across the room and slam into a nearby wall, knocking all the dust off it in a cloud. It settled to the floor in a swirling sort of mist.

There was laughter. Venomous laughter.

Housed in a boy.

At the sight of him, it was easy to see it was the son. _The son_. Bakura's son. Mat. He had known it was Mat, who else could it have possibly have been? Yet seeing him in that light was horrendous.

He stood, watching the form of the thief with bent knees and a ready stance, a sneering grin plastered on his face, hair wild and out of control, hazel eyes bright and glowing in the violence. The rod was held like a weapon, glittering gold and feverishly in the light.

T.R screamed a cry of war, lunging at him with that knife, glowing gold as he used the magic of his millennium Ring to fight the millennium Rod. He was slicing and stabbing with no thought, rage driving the white haired spirit completely. The boy dodged every move with ease, using the rod to deflect the blade but not the Ring's magic. He had a magic that was far older to combat that.

He pointed the rod at T.R suddenly and jerked it up. The thief didn't even know what was happening as he was lifted with the greatest of ease off the ground. Mat was grinning crazily as he made the most casual of flicks and watched him fly back so hard it cracked part of the wall. Again the youth laughed. Wickedly.

Yami ran to the thief, deciding it was time to be done with being an audience member, to give him aid. He watched in the corner of his eye as the boy became aware of his presence, the grin becoming wider on his face, and the Rod pointing at him. Yami threw up a wall to counter act the blast of the rod. Joey grabbed the kid from behind after that, and bought him a moment or two with the thief.

"Pharaoh." The Robber growled. He was hurt, but not enough to subdue the wildfire inside. He started to force himself to rise from the floor, despite Yami trying to tell him to stay down. Joey yelled, and Yami saw him get hit in the face with the winged part of the Rod, and heard the boy yell bizarrely.

"KILL HIM!"

Yami started a little confused for only a moment. Only a moment. A cold gnarled grip clenched him around the neck so suddenly he had no way to defend himself. He started chocking as he was lifted off the ground, twirled and pinned to the wall as simply as a rag doll.

Yami watched TombRobber glaring up at him, at the other end of his strangling arms, eyes pitched somewhere beyond sanity, teeth gritted in a slightly bruised face. His fingers were clawed around the soft part of his next, the pressure steadily increasing, breaking off the breathing. Yami found his hands wrapped around the Robber's wrists, digging his nails in and trying to kick him off and he slowly started to suffocate. The puzzle was lit up like a got ember as he used his magic, trying to will off the Robber. It wasn't powerful enough to over come the Ring's power and the strange force Mat had commanded, which was burning just as bright.

He was loosing.

Soon his strong kicks went feeble, and his grip started to weaken. His vision blotched with black threateningly. He was sure his face was purple. And somewhere in his head he was screaming, screaming get out, get out now, getout getout getout getout, incessantly like a chant.

"Ph-Phar-aoh." A voice growled. Through the haziness he could see the brown eyes, eyes staring at him so raged it was impossible to see any person beneath. Keen eyes. His grip suddenly flexed, widely for a moment. The Thief began to scream, scream like a man getting his hand cut off. It flexed just enough for Yami to get his hands between the thief's hands and his throat, enough for a breath before that amazing death crunching pressure closed down on him and the screaming subsided.

He held off that pressure for as long as he could, shaking from the strain. He couldn't get down, even though he was bigger than the boy, couldn't quite move. He was being pinned with something so much more.

And in the corners of this struggle he could see Mat, waving that Rod around like it was a baton, giggling and laughing as Joey yelled, a monster from his deck flying at the boy, his Flaming Swordsman, and being obliterated on the spot, watched Mat use a fresh wave of magic to make his own monster, some kind of three-headed dragon, killing it on the spot, and Marik trying to cover Joey with a trap card.

"Lis-ten." T.R wheezed in the next breath between his tight teeth. Yami looked back at him, the pupils of his eyes small, his hands feeling the needle pains already as his strength weakened

"C-C-Can't. C-Control." He growled the muscles buldging in his arms and neck now.

"C-c-c-c-ca-all h-him." Yami stared at him, suddenly understanding what he what the Robber was saying, what he wanted him to do, what he must do to survive as well as give them a fighting chance. It all came down to trust.

Yami took a huge breath and bellowed with everything that was inside of him.

"BAKURA! RELEASE THE BIND! RELEASE THE BINDING! DO IT NOW! DO IT NOW!"

He watched the haunted man stare at him; stare at him like he was insane from all the way across the room. Stared with haunted never forgetting eyes. Remembering all the pain and suffering he had endured so many years ago, stared at the back of his prisoner, now slave. Stared and wasn't sure if he could be willed to do it.

"DO IT FOR YOUR DAUGHTER!"

And all the logic and love chased that childish memory of fright away. Chased the old fear back into its hole. New eyes opened wide to the world, the eyes of a man who knew what must have been done, and would pay for it with his life in the end.

Because that was what it would eventually come down to.

Yami was getting dizzy. The strain and the smaller amount of air that entered and exited his lungs with each passing minute was the result of the added pressure. TombRobber was winning. The Pharaoh was sure after all these years he finally knew the answer to who would've won victory that night they had fought before; he was sure now that he would've lost. He was loosing now. He would lose. And TombRobber was getting what he had always desired.

For once he could leave this with no guilt at what he had done.

Book Dragon: "Please Review"


	34. Freedom

Chapter 34: Freedom

"I RELEASE YOU OF YOUR SURVATUDE! I RELEASE YOU BY MY BLOOD AND THE BLOOD OF MY KIN! GO NOW AND RECLAIM YOUR FREEDOM!"

Bakura screamed, screamed over the laughter, the yelling, the haggard breathing, put most of all the pain. The pain roaring in his palm as he cut into his flesh, deep enough so blood dripped, his arms outstretched over the tree, cutting his hand with the knife that had been kicked within grabbing distance of his prison, slicing and letting the crimson blood pour onto the tree.

Something twitched in the air. Then blasted.

(…)

The maroon girl looked at her with her emerald eyes. Eyes full of love. Her arms opened wide, elegant fingers wide and inviting, as fresh tears falling down her fair face. Tears made of tree sap. Tears twisted with sorrow at her. At what had happened to her.

_"Sweet Heart."_ She whispered with a leafen tongue, tears still falling as she offered her a hug.

Kaede felt something twist. Twist dangerously, almost threateningly at the fabric of the apathy state. The fabric didn't tare. She was vaguely familiar. Though she had never seen her before, she had felt her presence for many a year now. Felt it growing and holding her own soul in a loving embrace. Felt it deep down in her chest, but never had known what it was.

"Who are you?" her voice glimmered smally with awe. The woman came closer, taking slow careful steps with bare feet, arms that had been so strong weakening as more and more tears started running down her face. Twisted sorrow.

_"I'm your grandmother."_ Another threatening pull, but still the fabric held. Even when the woman wrapped her arms around the small girl, Kaede, and held her so dearly, as if she would be gone when she let go.

"Grandmother?" It sounded familiar, but she never remembered having a grandmother, or grandparents. Her parents' parents had died when they had both been young.

_"Yes. I am your Mother's Mother. You are my granddaughter."_

"B-But she died, her mother died when she was young." There was silence for a moment. A pause of consideration.

_"I adopted your mother when she first came here. I loved her before I even saw her. Loved her as my own soul. My very own child. When she fell into this place, came to my Mother, I immediately claimed her for my daughter. She had been different, something none of us had made. And she was alone. Mother Earth accepted my wish. _

_"I first met her when she was fleeing from two who wanted her gone. I had given her a little of my power to protect her, but when I saw her, I gave her everything inside of me, gave her myself. It was wonderful to feel human. I had wanted that change when humans were first created. _

_"She had children. It was wonderful. I loved your sister and brother. She had you and your spirit was riddled with that something new. Your mother wanted to give you everything, like the others. But you were the one that could accept me. She gave you me. It was so hard to watch her wither."_

Kaede felt tears falling on her shirt, felt them, and rose her arms to hold the woman embracing her so tightly, because dimly she knew it was the thing to do. Kaede's eyes itched, tears would've came had her emotions not been so locked down. Somewhere deep, deeper than this, she knew she finally understood that she had only wanted to be realized in these thirteen years of hiding. Somewhere she had been afraid her family would've shoved her away. So she had begun talking to the trees.

And why she suddenly thought of T.R, of his knowing what she was and not being afraid of it. Feeling something growing and become stronger the more and more she spent time with him. He was the first real friend she had ever had. That she could trust. Felt it again now but not as strong.

She heard a dim scream from somewhere above, suddenly and forcefully. They both heard it, and they both looked up, grandmother and granddaughter, looked up and knew it was Bakura, the father, knew it. One felt dread and the other felt barely anything. A second more powerful something suddenly bursted, bursted the gray walls, destroyed the ebony wall to swirling dust, blasted away the fabric in a fiery breath, making Kaede breath in so suddenly at the shock, at the tears falling down her face, smelling the desert wind roaring in her mind.

Acer saw it and knew it too. Knew the look on the granddaughter's face as a fierce love Ryelle had had for Bakura. Knew it and loved it as much as they did. Smelled the desert wind, felt the dark strong force of a Sand Thief, a Sand King of Thieves, and knew it had been he who had once chased Ryelle. She knew she would have to let her go for a little while, let her kin follow the path her mother had followed.

They would talk again. She had been calling from that apple tree, one of the many voices she could borrow for a moment, calling and waiting patiently for her granddaughter to find her. She had been found now. Acer knew she would be found again, more quickly. This was not the end.

"Grandmother."

_"Go find them. I'll be here."_

(…)

Yami watched the brown eyes glaze over suddenly, felt the pressure weaken considerably until he was fully released and fell down onto the ground hard on his ass. He watched the Ring keep glowing, glowing so strong it blinded like nothing you could have ever seen. Watched as every single leaf in that white head of hair turned from the reddish maple leaf into a withered brown scrap and flutter to the floor. Watched his eyes glow with the raw golden power that had been suppressed for more than thirty years.

Watched him change.

The sudden roaring laughing, sudden blast of cold energy made Yami press against the wall as it hit him and rolled off his soul like a biting wind. He sucked in a breath and held it in spite of the dizziness. Held it and watched the light glow down, the Ring turn down, turn down its excitement, turn down the great raw emotion of its master.

Brown eyes opened. Opened like new. Opened like they had once opened years and years ago. Full of cold raw power, hate, rage, pain. Wanting the taste of revenge. He twisted with a grace that was haunting, twisted and locked those murderous orbs on the boy staring, just staring with wide hazel eyes. Shocked hazel eyes.

The Robber smirked and began his slow careful walk toward him.

"Kill him!" Mat yelled. The TombRobber continued his pace, his glowing clever eyes. He walked past Joey's form on the floor, knocked unconscious, didn't notice him. Just kept that ghostly walk. Mat recoiled from him, taking a step back.

"I command you." He said, weaker, still not willing that he had lost control of him. Trying to believe that, that _thing_ wasn't walking toward him, wasn't looking at him with hungry eyes. He kept walking.

And when he finally got too close for comfort the boy pointed the Rod at him and howled something, a word, an attack, then:

"OBEY ME!" The Thief grabbed his ring and deflected the attack with ease, a quick flick of his gold glowing hand and the blast flew away like a puff of smoke. And before the kid even saw it coming, the thief moved with lightning speed, the speed of a god, moved and grabbed the boy by the shirt and lifted him as if he weighed nothing, staring up at him with wide homicidal eyes coated with the darkness that dwelled inside of him.

"I OBEY NO ONE ANY LONGER!" He said with the most enraged voice he could muster, inhuman voice, said it cruelly and so darkly your mind almost couldn't accept the fact it had been that black.

And the Thief threw down his victim with all his might onto the floor. Picked him up and threw him down again. And again. And again. Once more. Then picked him up and walked quick paced, slammed him against a wall. He flipped out Kaede's pocket knife, the container bright red like it had known what it was to be used for. He cut the boy's face nice and slow, getting so close to the eyes that the boy whimpered, cut deep enough for blood. Cut his arms in slashes. And then made a move to stab him when someone screamed.

The thief was suddenly lunged upon, the boy knocked from his grip as the thief was brought down to the ground by a bigger man. A man with snow white hair.

Bakura.

"You. Won't. Hurt. My son." Bakura growled, holding the thief down with his weight while he banged the knife out of his hands. In the third slam the pocket knife went flying. When that was done, Bakura turned back and found the soul that had once used his body against his will was glaring, and the ring was glowing out of control. He had no control of it. It was the Thief's and his daughters.

The TombRobber smiled at this.

A blast of light rammed straight into his chest, made him scream as a roaring hot flame ripped through his chest, through his mind, and made him go up, up for a moment, until he was at the end of Tomb Robber's arm, his shirt in his clenched fist, his brown eyes splotched with red flecks of rage. So much rage.

"_You_." He growled inhumanly.

"You bastard. Your slut wife captured me, but didn't you know I'd get out? Didn't you know that if I didn't get to kill you, I'd slaughter every descendent for the rest of my days? I'd slice their eyes and tongues out. Cut each finger off slowly. Gut them while they were still alive, take out their organs and mummify them while they still breathed? DIDN'T YOU!" the thief whispered. Whispered with pleasure dripping from his lips. His eyes were wide maroon, like drying blood, twinkling like stars.

"But," He continued softer, "I think I like it better this way."

"THIEF!" TombRobber slid his brown eyes away from his former vessel and settled them on the Pharaoh. He was still against the wall, his legs twitching, breathing feeblely, weakly, his voice quivered, reflecting his drained soul.

"Leave him alone. You want me." Yami said slowly.

TombRobber laughed.

"Don't worry, Pharaoh," he hissed blissfully.

"You'll get yours."

He turned back to Bakura, leaving the Pharaoh on the ground weakly trying to get up, knowing he wasn't going to be able to, and took his sweet time with him, torturing him. He frowned angrily when he found the man limp in his clenched fist. He had fainted. What was the fun in destroying an unconscious man?

Still…

T.R glanced at the knife on the floor a few feet away, looked at it and smiled gleefully, he lifted his foot to move, but couldn't. He stopped, dumbfounded. Slowly, he twisted his head down. Twisted his head to the extra weight on his leg. Twisted it and felt his heart suddenly hammer uncontrollably.

Kaede held his leg.

Book Dragon: "Please Review"


	35. The Surprise

Chapter 35: The Surprise

He looked at her, mind reeling. She had been dead. She had been hanging from the tree. Hanging. He had seen her shoes and knew the dead limp look of a hanged man. Knew it and knew he had been too late. He had lost her. He had lost what was his.

Now he stared with shocked surprised wide eyes.

"Don't kill him." Kaede whispered, holding his leg tightly in her arms, kneeling on the ground, looking up at him with wide tearing hazel eyes. Scared terrified eyes. He stared. Couldn't stop staring. Couldn't look away. Couldn't move.

"Please," she whispered wilder, tears falling down her face, "I'll give you anything, please don't kill my father." She whispered, wide-eyed like a doe, for a moment, before she threw herself again him, her hot check against his thigh and wept while she pleaded.

"I give you anything…" He didn't move, couldn't move. Felt his brain go suddenly numb.

And then he realized he couldn't take it anymore. The hunger stirring in him suddenly over whelmed all his logic. Her weakness and fault were far too tempting to pass up. He couldn't understand why she didn't just obliterate him and did not care. She was offering anything to him, anything he could want. His mind had been slowed by it, paralyzed, but his body was quick to pick up the slack. He had known what he wanted from her for so long know.

The Treasure.

Before he was able to figure out what was happening, he let go of the limp man, her father, his fingers immediately releasing like trap door hinges, letting the adult fall to the ground lightly with a thud. The thief then grabbed the shuttering girl at his feet by the shoulders, with smooth and gentle hands, and lifted her to her feet and close to his chest. With her head inches away from his nose he took in her fragrance, his mind clouded even more by it, and simply brought her down-cast head up to look at him with sly soft fingers.

He ignored the confused teary hazel orbs staring back at him and held her in his arms and pressed her close, like a small child with a beloved toy, so he could feel her against him, and let his hands stroke her back tenderly. He disregarded how she tensed, and tightened his hold, closing his eyes and breathing her in, lowering his head so his mouth was about to her neck level.

He let go of the restrains placed by him, too enthralled to care about anything except how she tasted under his lips and gave into his weak point. He listened to the squeak of surprise passively, feeling her soft skin spread into goosebumps as he let his lips gently travel up her neck, his hands exploring.

He wasn't trying to make an impression, just doing as he saw fit, and felt truly at power for the first time in years. After a few moments of his heavy breathing and artful work he took enormous pleasure as he felt her shy fingers brush the hairs on the back of his head, stroking him lightly, as she slowly gave into him, and kissed him back, crying all at the same time.

For a few dizzyingly blissful moments he scratched an itch that had been maddening him, clawing at it mercilessly and feeling the relief pouring over him. A hunger that had been tearing him apart finally subsided, and he drove deeper and deeper into the wonderful feeling.

A part of him wondered how he could have missed such a magnificent sensation, plunging deeper into his yearning. Until the deceitful part of him screamed in a loud burst of pain to stop, removing his mouth from her in reflex, a piercing hot force biting him in the back, making him to crunch down hard on his teeth as he quickly turned his head with rage and found the pain unbearable.

Awakened, he looked up at the crazy eyed boy staring at him; the boy he had sworn had been down, laughing darkly at him, the rod pointed out and smoking. As his mind finally ventured to the idea of something being wrong his vision was already lightening, slight yes, but still sluggishly growing brighter. Unable to comprehend what had just happened he let his eyes glanced down at his back, where there was a large hole gnawing into him.

Aghast, he turned back and clutched her tightly to him as he started to stumble away, his heart beat ringing in his ears. He was surprised to hear his entire mind now shouting to get her out of here, out of range, to protect her.

But with her combined weight and now wounded he wasn't surprised when he was struck with another blow, on his back but lower than the first hit, making him jerk about like a rag doll in the mouth of a bulldog. His legs collapsed from the pain. In a last ditch method he turned himself sideways, his back still to his enemy so that she would remain safe, as he fell heavily on his arm, his trench coat fluttering like a falling flag, with a look of disbelief.

For a long time he did nothing but breath, in and out, holding her with his cheek pressed into the cold floor. He couldn't feel anything, now, the world slowly becoming lighter. He was in shock, but felt no regrets. He had gotten something worth twenty lethal hits in the back, and for it he felt surprisingly good.

He was only slightly aware of the large greenery forming around them, shielding his back as the girl's eyes rolled white, using a lot of power as several more blasts sounded behind them. After a time the girl blinked back, breathing deeply as if just lifting a heavy load, her magic completed, leaving her drained.

She shook like an autumn leaf in the wind. In his arms. And he stared at her in that mysterious light, wondering why in the name of Ra she would shield him, shield after he tried to destroy her own father. Searched her hazel eyes for some kind of answer, but continued to find nothing but the flecks of green in the hazel. Glittering leaves waving green. He felt the flowing of blood from his back

"Why?" he demanded, eyes darker than before, showing the power that had been hidden under the encirclement of leaves that once lived around his head. She looked at him, a slight twinge of fright flashing and flickering in her eyes, for a moment, before she suppressed it and looked at him with raw eyes.

"You came back for me." She whispered.

It was true. He realized it with a jolt. It opened his clouded dark eyes wide, wider than before, wide enough to see deep down into those eyes like they windows and saw something. Saw something there. Or more rather, someone he had been looking for.

The moment passed, passed with the awe, passed so he was his old self again. Well, sort of. T.R looked at Kaede, looking at her with seriousness, and knew what had to be done. Knew just like the foliage around them was her out stretched wings.

"I have to get him." He whispered, eyes glowing. She looked at him hurt, aching pained eyes. Eyes of a child. She squeezed his arm, the one she had been grasping for several minutes, and looked at him. He sighed, feeling his vessels pain inside his head like needles.

"I must. He will kill you if I don't." She was looking at him so weakly. The next thing he did surprised himself. He uncurled his arms from her and held her face, thumbing the falling tears, knowing right then they would break since their minds were so closely weaved now. Her eyes were still weak, but in his head he heard her whisper consentient.

Oh how it cost her.

"I'll make it quick. I promise." He whispered in a gentle way he was sure he had been so sure he could never have been.

Her wings peeled weakly away from him, letting him go, as he shakily got back to his feet, black trench coat she had gotten him swinging, the hole in his back sputtering with blood. She watched it with aching eyes behind his back, watching him advance upon her brother standing with the rod pointing at him squarely.

With gritted teeth the robber threw himself from off the ground in a flash of speed, turning quickly toward the evil Marik and sending a huge blast of magic through the woven vines with his Ring, and watched the boy skid back a few inches as a huge golden orb flashed around him, deflecting the blast toward T.R.

The thief was barely able to dodge the flaming gold orb as he swung to his right, the sleeve of his coat grazed and starting to smoke. He ignored it and sprinted away, glancing with the corner of his eye, watching Kaede run as quick as she could behind the trunk. The first step was down. All he had to do was make sure she got out of the room alive, out of his grasp.

It would be easier said that done.

The thief staggered forward, his balance unsteady and his eyes glazed over like his heavily clouded mind. The pain was causing a mist to flow about his thoughts, leaving them random and confusing, but still he walked toward him, watching the cruelty beaming with the boy's hazel eyes who was enjoying his pathetic form immensely, as his mind reeled. I will make it go away. It will never see the light of day again. I may not see another sun rise, but it can't remain here. I will kill. She needs the life. The light needs the life. Must make sure the light survives. My light…

T.R was blasted back with another glowing gold orb, knocked off his feet to the ground again, and again he rose and overcame it, an ancient determination awakening as an aura slowly glowed brighter, larger, _stronger_.

He summoned the rest of his magically strength, every last fiber of it, pulled it so tightly and up so fast out of him he almost screamed at it, he willed every bit of it into his hands, his hands formed into a fist, wrapped around each other, and pointed it at the boy, who watching him with a smirk on his face.

"Try it." He said.

TombRobber blasted him.

The boy flew across the room, flew at lightning speed, flew so fast it was hard to see him, until he went slam against the wall and hung there a moment. Gravity debated pulling him off of it, and finally made up its mind, giving a gentle tug. The boy fell forward lightly and went down with a soft thud onto the floor.

It was done. T.R felt the horrible female wailing in his mind, but no sound came from her lips. She stared with wide blank eyes. Wide blank eyes. He turned stiffly, still bleeding, blood running down his back, bruised and battered, and started walking toward her again, to pick her up and make her leave this place. Carry her if he had to.

He watched her eyes widen suddenly, so large and wide it was close to insanity.

Something cracked. Loudly. It was the noise that he knew was bad. Slowly, he turned his head towards it and can't believe what he was seeing.

Book Dragon: "Uhh…please review?"


	36. Rise of the Beast

Chapter 36: Rise of the Beast

The boy's body twitched. Twitched and cracked. Shuddered. T.R watched something black move, move out, sprout out, like some kind of horrible plant. Maybe that was what it was. It cracked and shuddered, slid out of the body's back. Something ebony back. Then seven more grew out of that back.

T.R watched has those eight twig like things stretched and grew, larger and larger, pulling up out of the shuddering body, out of its back, watched a great ebony monster that his mind just disallowed for him to see fully. All he could see were the golden sickish yellow eyes growing larger and angrier, more inhuman by the moment. He watched it grow further still even when a voice vibrated through the air like poisonous gas.

"_Hmmmm…you defeated my vessel. I thank you for that_…" it whispered inhumanly. Its voice echoing into the very deep cracks of your head. Seeping in and threatening to rip you to shreds. Something deep dark and hungry. Something that would not be denied this meal paralyzed in front of him. Him.

It opened its mouth to take a bite out of him in that place in his mind, but suddenly the body shivered and howled like a wounded beast as Tomb Robber's mind was suddenly filled with the brightest green light he had ever seen. He can hear someone yelling, a man, the Pharaoh, actually, and feels a pair of arms grab him, grab him and pulls him off his feet.

Wind clears his eyes and he finds himself off the ground, flying up to the ceiling. He looks and hears the flapping of leaf filled wings, sees her determined face and feels her tight hold around his chest, keeping him from falling to his death. Felt the fear in her head shoved aside.

You okay? He asked in his mind. He felt her grin. Felt a bubbly weirdness there. Yeah, just trying not to get killed, floating into his head like a summer breeze. She swerved suddenly, scaring him shitless as they twisted away from one of the black claws, shying away from falling. He could hear the Pharaoh yelling down there, could feel the Puzzle's burning magic with his Ring and knew there was soon going to be hell to pay.

Yami charged up for the attack his life. Joey was down. Marik was no where to be found. Bakura knocked unconscious. Mat dead. And the beast was waving, trying to snatch Kaede and the thief out of the sky. Yugi was inside; his essence was shaking with rage like nothing he had ever felt. Yami took it felt his own great dark rage grow in it; make it bigger and more powerful than ever before.

Fully charged, Yami's hair fluttered in the net force of it, his pupils smallest they could go, his hands hovering in touching distance of the puzzle, burning like a newly born star, burning with all the emotion in each of their souls. Burning like eternity.

And the yellow eyes of the black emperor look at him. Look at him reflecting the same glowing gold it had survived in for so long. Looks at him and reminds him of how old it actually is. Older than ancient Egypt. So very old.

Yami clutched the puzzle with his hands and bellowed letting out a wave of the that grand power, taking much of the energy out of him, flying and spiraling around flying in disks of rapid light, flying right into those gold eyes.

They hit. Pounded on the black beast. Pounded while Yami gasped for breath and held Yugi tightly inside his head, protecting him with his consciousness. Watching with slightly glazed eyes as the creature howled and screeched. He watched Kaede fly over it, T.R dangling in her arms, to see it fall. Watched in horror as a huge black limp swatted her out of the sky. Watched her plummeting, holding him tightly like a teddy bear as the ground waited to catch them in its deadly embrace.

Yami struggled to get up, struggled to get something, anything, out of himself to save the two of them, save them from death. He struggled to get up, kept trying to get up, and finally lifted himself, for a moment. The next he was sure he would fall when something white flew at him. He didn't even have a chance of dodging. Pretty soon he was slammed against the wall, bound there, struggling weakly, as a horrible laughing grew stronger and stronger.

Yami looked up and felt his eyes bulge in utter horror.

The girl had been caught by a paw-hand, curled inside talons. Her head was down, her arms over the side of that grip. Knocked unconscious. She looked like a doll, wings crumbled and broken. A defeated angel with green wings.

It wasn't the worse of it.

Tomb Robber. He couldn't stop staring at the Tomb Robber's form. Wasn't able. The black sharp morphed stick of a thing…it had…had. Yami could hear someone screaming and first thought it was TombRobber, still alive and feeling the pain of being impaled. But then he realized it was himself and stopped, shaking with the horror of knowing it was his fault he was dead.

He watched the beast crack off that limp, watching it throw it away as if it were nothing as it stared at the girl. Stared hungrily. So ravished. He could see clear liquid seeping out of its battered form and realized what it was. What it had to be.

_"King of Sand must find madam before It eats…" _

Before It eats.

It was drooling.

He watched with something beyond terror as the beast lifted her above its form, watching ravenously with its golden orbs, with the eagerness of a cat rubbing against your legs when you start to open the cat food can. Felt sick by it, watching helplessly as it opened its weakened mouth. To swallow her whole. Felt close to fainting when a sudden blast of red hot flame hit it square in its gapping maw, between the huge white fangs. Listened amazed as it howled in pain to the voice growling over it.

"Take your hands of my sister, you _bastard._" He growled with an inhuman voice.

His eyes held flecks of crimson rage in the sea of hazel behind his outstretched arms, narrowed and full of power despite the wounds pained on him from head to toe. In his hands, pointed out straight and true, the golden rod seemed to glow in his grip. Its eye sang with similar fiery anger.

Mat.

The ebony king turned its mass, its two golden sun discs eyes in his direction, slowly. The girl hung limp in its coal claw, unconscious but alive. It ignored her, and focused all Its attention on Matt. The brother straightened his stance, holding the rod out at it, like a sword, removed his left hand and held his side, but never once took his eyes off the beast.

The thing laughed.

"_You think you stand a chance against me? Now?"_ A sickening gurgling croak of a laugh jumped out behind his pin toothed maw.

"_Stand down now and I won't kill you."_ It remarked lazily.

A blast three times the size of the first shot out of the rod like a bullet, and spread like molten lava. The King barely dodged the mass of fire, swerving to the left hard, and sent a mass of black, like a whip, towards the spot where Matt was. 'Was' was the keyword here. A ripping pain spread like fire from the blacken side as Matt reappeared in the thing's vision, jumping away with the entire rod engulfed in bright red flame. Another whip move. Matt dodged. Swung the rod and had the fire bite again.

Yami struggled in his slimy bonds. Even with the help of the puzzle it was of no use. It was drained. He was stuck plastered to the wall like some piece of gum. Absolutely useless. Still he gritted his teeth and pulled with all his might for freedom and found it unrewarding. He glanced to the floor and found Joey still on the floor. Bakura in the same way, horrifyingly similar to a corpse. And to the base of the tree…

He forced his eyes away, not willing to think of how it was probably his fault that the thief was dead. No, he would not think of that now. Instead he focused on Yugi's sleeping essence and hoped he'd wake up soon. Wake up soon because he knew Mat wasn't going to last long. He could see his strength weakening. The Monster knew it.

Yami looked back down at the restraints, feeling the boiling rage starting to bubble past the killing edge. If Matt went down, he would be the only one to do anything, which he could do nothing, and he'd be forced to watch the thing devour the fallen green-winged woman, and the eating of the rest of his comrades, for that matter, to which if he watched that he hoped the Blackness would kill him soon after.

Being dead was better than the torture those images would bring him later.

Book Dragon: "Please Review."


	37. What was Wanted in Return

Chapter 37: What was Wanted in Return

Warm. The air was warm. And Earthy. Warm and Earthy. It had a motherly caress. Something out of a dream. He wondered if this was what it was like to be dead. It had to be, right? In the blackness of somewhere he could smell Earth, feel it beneath his finger tips, not sand but soil. Must be in the caves. They finally got him in the caves, he decided. They followed him back to his loot, his lair, and killed him like an old dragon. 5,000 years ago. All the other stuff had been a dream. He could rest now. He could sleep now.

Someone said his name.

His _real _name.

The Thief King opened his eyes.

He was met with a red gaze. A piercing red gaze that studied him coolly, before wandering off at the sound of a male agitated voice.

"Has he come around, yet?"

"Yes." T.R blinked as the red gaze lifted, revealing a humanoid face that was serious and framed with emerald green hair. He could only say it was humanoid since the length of its hair, and facial features were neither male or female. Or even a mixture of both. He blinked at the white tunic the red-eyed person was wearing, laced with black. Its pants were much the same. T.R also noticed the lean greatly tall figure of the humanoid.

"Where am I?" T.R asked, trying to get up. The angry look of a yellowed eyed person made him stop.

"Quiet, human." Growled the second person with the glowing gold eyes, before turning back to the red-eyed one. It was wearing a dark brown with black spirals sown into it. Its hair was curved and looked like a greenish brownish color.

"Beore, listen to me, we can't make the same mistake again. If you would just listen-"

"No. How many times have I told you, Lapu? She is my great niece. You should take care to remember she's yours too."

"Beore, Lapu, please. You're quarreling is giving me a headache." Said another male sounding creature with dark green needle like hair that was incredibly thick. His eyes were mud brown. He wore a fluffy shirt and coffee colored pants. He was also holding his head with elegant long fingers. It was easier to think of them as male, the thief found after a moment.

"I mean, this isn't the reason why we are here, isn't it?"

"No, Daru, but its part of the reason we're here." Snapped Lapu.

"Only in your mind." Replied another one sarcastically. His eyes were tan. More green hair and weird clothes. A white shirt with a different darker shade of brown.

"You know as well as the rest of us that you just don't like the fact that Acer called a human her daughter."

"Shut up, Elman. No one asked you!" Lapu snarled.

"But that is the reason." Beore retorted coldly.

"Look at what they do, Beore, they destroy everything! Even our kind. Mother is dying at their hands-"

"But not all of them are like that!" Beore angrily with hands curled into fists.

"Prove it."

The look of red-hot fury on the called Beore's face went beyond any rage T.R had ever known of himself. Yet, Beore was silent. He looked down to the green grassy ground that they all stood on. All of them barefoot. Including the three others who hadn't spoke yet, but watched with keen different colored eyes. Gray, Coffee, and Orange.

TombRobber started to wonder what kind of strange dream he had wandered into. Who where these people? They looked like no one he had ever seen. Strange and alien, yet somehow familiar.

The Gray eyed one met his gaze fully when he looked. He looked like the others with their green hair and odd styled clothes. He was the first one to look at him with real meaning. Somehow that look was unsettling. T.R felt defensive anger well up in him.

"What are you staring at?" He asked the gray-eyed one. He smiled at him, despite the fury laced in his voice, and approached quietly with the same daunting stare. He stopped a foot away from him, looking down at him until he waved his hand delicately.

TombRobber was narrowing his eyes confused when something under him shuddered before something gently slipped around his waist and lifted him up so he was eye-to-eye with this gray eyed stranger. It left his feet dangling. He would've stood on his own and shaken off the holdings had he not been so suddenly tired.

"You're close to Withering." Announced the gray eyed stranger. TombRobber stared into his eyes with the seriousness he felt inside, and seen in this stranger.

"I know, I…was told I would die at this time." He said slowly.

"And you greet your withering time willfully?" TombRobber narrowed his eyes at him.

"Yes…If I can have one thing in return."

"Lian! What the hell are you playing at!" demanded Lapu in a growling voice. But no one was paying any more attention to him. The six remaining people, what T.R was slowly figuring out must be something like brothers by the way they bickered, stared with wide interested eyes.

T.R watched those gray eyes look at him with a shining that was eerie.

"What would you want in return?" Lian asked T.R, seeming to already know the answer. He knew many things. T.R could see it in his eyes. Something lurking strongly there. T.R wasn't sure if he wanted to answer, starting to think this was stupid every second that went by, but looked around and found more and more staring eyes.

"If she can live." Beore turned smugly to his brother, red eyes bright as he crossed his arms. Lapu scowled at him murderously. Lapu opened his mouth to start battling with his brother when Lian suddenly interrupted the on coming fight, stopping it dead in its tracks.

"I know what happened to Acer."

Dead silence. Lian let them all breathe for a moment, two, three. Then opened his mouth and explained. Explained what Kaede's grandmother had explained without all the tears and pain. Explained how he saw it, how he figured it out, how when he looked at the child he could sometimes see a flicker of Acer inside her. And how not helping the girl-child would be like killing their sister.

And everyone remained silent.

For a time.

"What would you have us do?" asked Beore. Lian smiled at him, then smiled at T.R. Smiled around at Elman, Daru, Aesctun, Lapu, Hikkori, and finally back to Beore and T.R again. He settled on T.R was the grandest of eyes.

"So, my friend, what would you say if we could give you this wish?" Lian asked. T.R looked at him for a moment. Then finally smiled deviously.

"Tell me how."

(…)

Yami watched Mat blast, dodge, blast dodge. Run. And kept struggling, kept forcing his body to move, when the wall suddenly shuddered under him. He blinked, confused, turned and found Marik standing next to him, panting so hard it was like he was trying to suck all the air into his mouth at once. He had Joey on his back, who was still unthinking, like Bakura who was under his arm. His dark purple eyes grinned when he grinned in this grim time.

"You stuck?" Marik asked playfully. Yami wondered if he had lost his mind.

"Where the hell were you!"

"Somebody had to let Bakura out of that cage, didn't they?" He put down Joey and Bakura and took the pocket knife out of his belt that he snatched off the floor when no one was looking and started hacking away at the white shit pinning the Pharaoh to the wall.

"Marik, I can barely move. I think I used all the energy in the puzzle. I'm not even sure I can stand up." Yami whispered feverishly. Marik looked calm and collected. He had already had his near-death experience what felt like ages ago, back in the hall with that thing, and was just not letting his emotions get too entangled in the conflict. He had the headphones off and around his neck while Yami's were missing and probably disintegrated from that blast of energy.

Kaiba was bound to be pissed.

"You're good at thinking of ways out of messes. You saved my life more than once, and my ass to for that matter. Don't tell me you've given up now…"

"Marik, listen to me! I can't do anything in this state. I can't even get off this wall to help Mat over there who's going to be down on the ground soon. I couldn't even help TombRobber when he-" Marik punched him.

And for a moment, he couldn't believe he did it. Yami just stared at him dumbfounded, staring into the stark deadly serious eyes, while Marik lowered his fist when he saw the Pharaoh was recovering from his second flip out session this week and started cutting again while he talked a bit angrily.

"Pharaoh, you've done things a lot grander than this. Saved the world right? He died protecting her. It had been _his_ choice to bring her mother here, and that consequence why he is dead now. Not because he was thief you wronged. Not cause you tried to use her to tame that wild rage that had dwelled in him. Sometimes, Yami, there are thing you can't fix. Sometimes that pot you knock over for the hundredth time means you can't put it together again. Sometimes you have to let go…"

Yami watched him keep cutting the white thread-like sticky silk from his body and felt Yugi there in, in the center of his mind, hearing the reasons of that pain and knowing it ran even deeper than that. It ran all the way back to Tea leaving him with their only son. Found it there, in his head, and heard his vessel laugh. Laugh very quiet.

_"You're still bothered about Tea?" Yugi asked. Yami squirmed._

_"...The wound wouldn't go away, you know that, but it's really not your fault Yami, it really wasn't at all. She had warned me. And I let her go. I will find her again, that much I know, but it won't be for a long time, because she too needs to heal."_

_"Yugi…"_

_"It's alright buddy."_ And there was an understanding silence. That Yami, too, needed to heal. Let the pain go. Let the horrible guilt go and be whole again. Yugi helped him to do that so many times before, fixed him up like brand new, and now he'd do it again.

Yami smiled.

The last thread snapped, and Yami practically fell forward. Marik caught him, held his arm over his shoulder to keep him standing. Marik was turning them back to the Beast ahead of them, swinging around every which way trying to get Mat, and Mat who was a lot stronger than either of them had first thought jumping and fighting. He was much like his father in that way, they both guessed at the same moment without even speaking of it.

And in that way they had always lent help.

"What do you want to do, Pharaoh?"

"Well, what have we got to work with?" Marik looked around.

"Two unconscious people, one damsel in distress, a boy giving a hell of a fight, one very big and scary black thing trying to eat the damsel, one drained item, three decks of useless cards against this thing, and a pocket knife.

Marik held it up as he spoke, grinning a little, knowing full well they probably won't live through this. Yami was amazed by his sense of humor in a time like this, and was even more surprised to find it was in him as well. Yugi wasn't going to leave no matter how many times he said to. And it was a little comforting, he supposed. Fine, if you want to stay, Yugi, you can stay.

Then the pocket knife jerked. Marik and Yami looked at it, confused for a few moments. It was a regular pocketknife wasn't it?

"Did you-" Marik began to ask but never finished as the knife was suddenly ripped out of his hand. Marik winced and put his fingers in his mouth, noticing at how hot it had suddenly gotten. Yami watched it float, or rather zoom through the air as if it were on fire, watched it go toward the spot under the tree and watched it stop.

Could he hope?

The grin forming around Marik's fingers as he sucked them was comical. He pulled them out and the grin widened grander when the knife glowed a steady green. Glowed with the green of the body. Watched the roots of the tree jolt, watch the stray bits of plant from the chaos twitch and slowly inch towards the body that had housed the TombRobber, it actually being made of that type of magic. Yami started grinning like Marik.

"That son of a bitch." Marik said warmly.

And Yami laughed.

Book Dragon: "Please Review."


	38. The Price

Chapter 38: The Price

TombRobber opened his eyes in the green glow of thousands of voices, feeling far more different. He blinked, and felt the seven people inside his head blink with him at once. His vision had changed. All his senses had changed. Sounds echoed more. He felt the slightest quiver beneath his feet. He smelled air and tasted it on his tongue. Tasted the sunlight and had to suppress a melting smile. Lian said there was work to be done.

He pull the blacken spike out of his chest slowly, feeling no pain, no pain anywhere, and dropped it. Blood should've flown it its place but he found yellow sap instead. The hole in his chest didn't bridge, but also didn't throb. The millions of voices were ringing in his ears, as well as the seven in his head. They toned the loudness of them down but TombRobber felt the strain of it and wondered how Kaede could take it.

Kaede…

He saw the knife he had used in what felt like another life. Cool and collected, apathy and strangely feeling yet not feeling, he willed the knife to him, watched the roots crack out of the floor and pass in the knife on willing brown branches, willing to please them. He took it lightly and nodded, or rather Lian made him nod. Hikkori made his mouth whistle, loudly, and watched the remaining twigs and things jump to the edge of the blade, making it stronger, faster, sharper, and deadlier.

His hand curled comfortably around the base and held it on his shoulder, not cutting him, as he turned toward the Beast. He saw the boy dodging and blasting with fire, saw him as the brother and not the boy he'd seen before and smiled at him, though the boy wouldn't look. It was a devious and sly smile.

Then he twisted his now gray-white eyes up at the ebony black beast and cried out in the tongue of the Trees. In Mother Earths commanding tongue of all creations made or made from her beings. T.R watched as the other seven eyes in his mind watch the great Monster turn and look down at him, walking and sort of gliding into view from under the base of the apple tree. Staring up at him with white-gray eyes. Flecks a red suddenly blossomed in them.

And the Black Emperor reeled away in terror at the presence of the seven brothers. It's great yellow eyes rolling as TombRobber held up the red pocketknife, held it and watched it change and morph into something grander, wider, watched it melt into the blade of his own sword and watched it twist the weapon with a fiery shine of light. He didn't wait for the Beast.

T.R leapt at it, his coat fluttering much like her cape was fluttering as the beast dodged, and fright glistening in its eyes. It hadn't been the target. T.R felt the sureness of his hands combined with Beore's as he brought the blade down, slicing into the thick dark flesh made of nothing but plants, watched it cave in, heard the beast howl in true pain.

The hand holding Kaede fell, severed from the rest of its body, and realized the girl in its grasp, who now for some reason in Tomb Robber's head, had bits of maroon highlights all in her white hair, as she was released from its dead talons. He scooped her up with one arm as he slashed at the Monster with his sword, as he nimbly fluttered to the ground, branches of the trees softening his fall to a light bounce.

He looked at what appeared to be a sleeping girl in his arms, looked at her for a moment, and kissed her softly on the check before placing her in the safety of the branches. Lian told them to take great care of her and the tree agreed mightily. T.R twisted back to the beast, glaring down at him with yellow sick eyes, hurt and pissed off.

The seven and T.R glared back just as strongly.

They lunged. T.R twisted out of the way of the outstretched claws, like an acrobat in mid air, hooked his hand onto a writhing twisted limp, and flew up into the air for a moment, slashing at the limps that came up from below to pierce him. He sliced mercilessly and fell with the grace of a leaf, inhumanly gentle on the beast, then up into the air again.

The yellow eyes twisted to him to late, and watched the screaming spirit, or rather spirits, point the sword down, down into Its chest, into the wicked deformed thumping heart heard it beat one messed up clunk before the sound of something in far too much pain covered it over it as every surge of magic new or old surged into its heart like electricity. The beast writhed under him in pain. In confusion.

"How-How-How- did you- beat-beat-beat me!" T.R thrusted further down, feeling the seven leaving his mind, job done, feeling the immense pleasure in it. Feeling the horrible pain in his back and not caring. The voices around him fading. Feeling death breathing down his neck and knew it was like how the Fortune Teller had said, and was happy because of it. Something strong and powerful blossomed in his heart and he yelled with the glee only insanity can provide in a man about to die.

"You can't destroy me! I AM THE DARKNESS!"

Watching as the seven opened the black gapping hole of death beneath them. An abyss they'd both drown and die in. Since he was already injured, it would not be long. For the beast, however; well, that was eternity.

And down they went, falling back past the rim of the rip into the black nothingness, taking the King of Thieves down with it. The entire hall filled with his deranged laughter as the dark hole closed, the tips of his coat swallowed down out of view eternally, only to be seen in haunted memories forever more.

Down and down he fell, the beast becoming nothing more than a blotch beneath him. Somehow he was able to ignore that horrible screaming. He held the pocket knife to his chest, feeling the wind ruffling his air in the downward plunge for eternity. It was cool and dark and somehow in the middle of it all he felt right at home. And sleepy.

Strangely very sleepy.

He closed his eyes…

…and found him on the desert dune inside himself. He blinked, letting the sandy wind blow through his white hair. Can feel the warmness of it stroking his skin. His ears perk to a familiar sound, and as he turns, he sees Kaede running toward him. He watches her, his expression softening like never before, as the warmness of the wind finally enters him.

She grabs him in a wild embrace that almost knocking him off his feet. She hugs him tightly, so tightly he wondered how he was breathing, but glad. He feels a bit weak, and leans on her a bit. His shirt is wet with her tears. He's confused by them a bit, but wraps his arms around her soft form, oddly smiling.

"Don't leave me…please." Kaede says muffled into his chest, her eyes streaming tears like fountains. Her forest behind her is slowly taking over that sand around them, slowly expanding as the desert around them diminished, as if the sand was seeping down through an hour glass. He's stroking her back, slowly, getting weaker and weaker, and slouching over her more and more heavily.

"I'm not leaving." He says quietly as she holds him up off he ground. Soon she looses her strength and lowers then down on brown earth that was starting to bud with emerald green. She sits behind him, laying him on the ground so that his shoulders and head where on her lap, looking down at his up turned face, tears falling from her brown eyes, holding him.

"Please." Kaede whispers pleadingly. She does understand what he means. Doesn't comprehend. His hand twitches, put he can't lift it. She lifts it in her pale hands, pale over tan skin, knowing what he was going to do and places it on her check. He's smiling weakly now. Everything's getting dark even here.

"Darkness never dies, Light. I am the darkness. It is impossible to kill me." He whispers so softly, smugly. Kaede manages to crack a smile at how stubborn he is as he feels himself going. Going away. It was somehow a relief. To finally meet this type of darkness that he had been running from for five thousand years. It was strange. He could swear that he could see people in that black. Familiar faces. Faces he was sure he had forgotten. His eyes closed.

Kaede watched the golden orbs of light fly up from his feet, unraveling him like he was nothing more than cloth. She held him tightly to her, ignoring those threads unreeling. Couldn't see them now.

"Please, let me save you." She whispers. Only her voice is left, soft young and afraid in the comforting black. His lips twitch, but forces one last slow smile.

"You already did." He says so quietly she strains to hear it as he disperses, disperses into something like stars, straight out of her hands and around her in the air. His voice is echoing. Echoing endlessly in the heavy forest. Echoing lost in the eaten dessert.

Echoing…

Book Dragon: "Please Review…Last Chapter next…"


	39. What the Riddle Meant

Chapter 39: What the Riddle Meant

Kaede walked home from school, her hands in her pockets, her face apathy even though the sun was shinning and the grass blades were all piping with merry singing voices, keeping beat with the thuds of her sneakers, happy to be alive. The girl only spared them a glance, her face consumed by indifference, as she treaded slowly on.

Things had returned to dull normal life, which seemed to suit their tastes nicely. Her father was looking more and more chipper everyday since she had started to master her powers, the control no longer his responsibility. She caught him in the garden often, humming lovingly to the plants and speaking to his dead wife with pride about their children, even though it didn't seem like she was around to hear.

Mat had stopped spending so much time in his room and could be seen more often helping Bakura, getting to know his father more and more, accepting him as a dad. When Bakura wasn't talking to Ryelle, that time growing more and more even though it wasn't his fault, he was teaching his son the differences between this sort and that sort of plant. They could also be found often in the giant tree room in the attic, picking apples for this weeks supply to sell at the store. Kaede wouldn't know since she never set foot in there.

Christa wasn't dating as much, nor talking about boys. It was understandable since all she really did think about was Javas coming over to teach her more about computers, how to use HTML and such. He was coming over as soon as he was done with his weekly dueling lesson from Yami, which usually took about an hour. Of course, in that period of time he innocently claimed to his father that he was over her house. Mr. Kaiba also, in return, knew his son was lying but never actually confronted him about it, deciding it was for the best. He may not like the fact that his son was being exposed more and more to his enemy or his puppyish Brother-in-Law, but there were some things that could not be changed.

Mr. Mutou and Mr. Wheeler also made weekly visits to her home, to talk and play cards (All though Mat secretly thought the consent appearance of Mr. Wheeler was due to the apple pie they baked every time he visited, but he said nothing of it however). The Ishtars sometimes attended these gatherings, in which was one of Javas's favorite times, though not Mr. Kaiba's since he never showed up; he had a lot to ask Marik about Ancient Egyptian technology since he had first hand knowledge being one to grow up with it. It was usually a very happy time for all of them, which Kaede was glad for.

She knew, however, that her strange distance from them for these past few months was worrying her father and new 'Uncles'. She tried often to be happy with them, to be glad to be alive, but after awhile she gave up. Now she was just faking it so they wouldn't worry.

Even the kids at school where seeing it. She couldn't tell you how many times she had been stopped by the guidance councilors, asking if there was something wrong at home. They wouldn't understand what she was going through, none of them, now that she was completely numbed by the wound inflicted on her heart. She knew she'd never be the same. She'd lie through a big fake grin and say she was just having a cruddy day and they'd swallow it every time.

Kaede never felt so alone in her whole entire life. Her powers, though usually separating her from the crowd, were making her now an extreme lone wolf, meandering a path of which no one had ever traveled before. She felt even more disheartened that the only person to ever have even glimpsed at such a road, the only one that could have even helped to have guided her, was now dead, and missed fiercely. She had been done crying two months ago, and now her soul was left raw and battered behind her mask of apathy.

The only time she really did show any true emotion was when she had caught a group of boys beating up a new kid. She wasn't sure what had set her off; it was fairly common thing to be seen around her school, something people got use to and ignored. She had only taken a glance at the scuffle, dust billowing from the dirt on the ground, as two large boys held the smaller newbie to the wall and was kicking him, when the boy's two wide dark brown eyes caught hers, pleaded with her for a moment, had a strong tide of rage over take her careless attitude and sent her dropping her book bag as she ran at them.

She jumped and tackled the first bully, a boy three times her size, the fury of a mother lion with her cubs endangered, clawing and biting at him, bellowing threats. Of course, the other boys had been stunned. They were smart enough to know that if a girl far smaller than one of their strongest friends was attacking and winning a fight that they were truly in deep shit.

It took about ten minutes for them to run off, Kaede, even though she was really battered, roaring about decapitation if they even thought about doing this again. She also wasn't surprised when the victim, the boy with the dark brown eyes, ran off with fright shortly after as well. It was the way of life.

Kaede ignored the curious stares of the other group of other girls walking by across the street, erupting in whispers when she was far enough not to hear as she turned toward the green shop with a look of complete and utter boredom. The 'deed' of saving the kid was making her name more commonly known for some reason, not that she cared.

Fame was nothing, not if she was going to get a thousand creeps staring at her or preppy girls saying random hellos, wanting to be spoken to. She disregarded them with the same icy glare as they had done for her at the beginning of the year, and moved on.

Kaede sighed to herself as she opened the glass doors, listening to the bell above the door ring quietly as she entered the game store, the familiar set up of books and priceless games. She was only here because Yugi has asked her to come after school today when he had caught her walking by this morning. Of course, she couldn't say no, so she had nodded. Now she was here, not sure what kind of cheer up speech she was going to get now.

"Good Afternoon, Kaede."

"Hi Mr. Mutou." He replied in the best happy voice she could. It came out more as a whisper on the wind. He smiled at her anyway, and beckoned her closer with a cheerful wave of his hand toward the main counter, his eyes bright and happy.

"You know you can call me Yugi right?" He asked as a side note for the fourth time in two days. She nodded with a tired look on her face as he called into the back room.

"YAMI! SHE'S HERE! We've got a surprise for you, today…I would've told you this morning but Yami said I couldn't until right before because it was suppose to be a surprise. YAMI?" He called again with a worried voice.

"I'm here." Yami said in his usual calm deep voice, his expression a serious with a smile on his face. In his aging hands was a medium sized package, about the size of a letter box, completely white and unlabeled. The Pharaoh placed it onto the counter in front of her. The girl looked at it with ill interest and glanced up at both family friends with a slightly curious look.

"Go on, open it." Yugi encouraged, his voice high in enthusiasm. Kaede held in a sigh as she opened the box, and found it completely filled with packing peanuts. She fished around them, until she found something cold and hard brush under her finger tips. Carefully she grasped the object with light nimble fingers as she removed the object, and found not too much to her surprise, a necklace.

It was an odd looking necklace, with an Egyptian eye much like the Ring she wore around her neck with pride, a constant reminder of her loss. She held back the swimming sorrow wanting to spring on her from the back of her mind as she glazed at it.

"Thank you." She replied, and was about to put it back in the box when Yami stopped her.

"Don't you want to know that this is the Millennium Necklace?" He asked. She looked up at the man's eyes with slight wonder, knowing that he was referring to the necklace of the seven Millennium Items. She also knew they all each had a power.

"Do you want to know what power this Item holds?" Kaede sighed silently, deciding to play along.

"What power does this hold?"

"It holds the power to look into the past and into the future. It helped me and Yugi in a time we thought was darkest. Do you understand why we're showing it to you?" Kaede was silent for a moment.

"Yes. I understand."

"Then concentrate on the eye for a moment." Yami said to her in a cooing voice. Without thinking she obeyed. For several long moments nothing happened, she didn't expect anything to happen; she expected nothing of anyone. She was about to put it down when she noticed a flicker in the golden eye. Her curiosity aroused by the sudden glimmer she gripped the item and brought it closer to her eyes when a sudden vision flooded her eyes.

_ Miles and miles of orangey hills sped by, like a solid tide, except for a worn path walked millions of times before. Dunes surged in an ocean of sand, rolling along outside the tinted windows on the right and left side, captivating the full attention of two young wide eyes. _

_ These eyes were familiar as they were strange. One pair consisted of the rare violet orbs, bright and glowing a soft hue as they soaked in the dessert scene rushing past. The other pair was just as unique, being two completely different colors all together. The left eye was a deep summer lake blue while the other, the right eye, was the exact color of chocolate, looking just as mesmerized._

_ Soft laughter echoed eerily from the front, behind one large gray seat in front of the violet eyed boy, who turned in direction of it with a slightly embarrassed face. His pale features turned a dull pink, and he quickly ran a hand through his high spiky hair, matting the crimson-highlighted brown strands and simply brushing the blonde winglets away, eyes laughing despite his nervousness. It could be told he was nervous, since he clutched the golden pyramid pendent that hung so proudly around the youth's neck for comfort, unaware of the soft light escaping the large Egyptian eye molded on top of one of the many pieces it was composed off. He smiled slightly; reassured by it and also that she was happy, not joking with him, like his father often had. _

_His 'imaginary friend' comments hurt him more than his Dad could think. The boy knew, even at the young age of eight, that his friend was different from the others his father made fun of. His friend told him things that Dad didn't even know, nor ever would. He told the most spectacular stories he had ever heard, about bravery and friendship. His friend had to be different; he wasn't the only one to have heard those stories either. Grandpa knew them too, as well as his name before he had even said it. Grandpa could see him._

_A dark pleasant voice whispered things to him. He could tell the owner of the voice was happy as well, for the first time since they had attended Grandpa's funeral weeks ago. The boy was glad to hear that sort of ringing tone in his ears again and smiled. The grin did not go unnoticed, for a second later the owner of the one blue and one brown eye nudged him and giggled. _

_He smiled at her, his best friend in the entire world. She was taller than him (everyone was), but she had never made fun of him because of that. He recognized she was very pretty even now, with her long straight brown hair and a classic troublemaker smirk as her eyes hinted at the happiness brimming underneath. It made him smile wider._

_"Are we there yet?" she asked in the most musical voice he had ever heard, her eyes sliding to the passenger seat wonderingly for a moment, before they flashed back to the adult driving._

_ A pleasant face leaned into sight, eyes covered in black sunglasses, but a full lipped grin was plain on her face. She was chuckling softly still; in a mood better then theirs. She looked like she was walking on clouds, she was so happy, it was like a daze. _

_"Not yet, Rose, we still have a couple of miles before we get to the tomb." She replied in just as calm a voice, her hands turning the wheel slightly and the hum of the car under her influence. Rose smiled, tried again to see into the front seat, but found it impossible. Smiling the women pushed back her black cowboy hat and combed the white strands underneath, before laughing lightly again._

_"Alright right Rose, if you really want to know what's in the box, you can take a look," she glanced at the boy with a small smile, "that is, of course, if Yami says it is okay. What's he say, Yafeu?" The boy, Yafeu, gazed down at the puzzle around his neck, a wondering look in his eyes, as he listened to a phantom voice buzzing in his ear._

_"Yami says it's okay, we're far enough away and deep enough into the dessert where no one will be around… have we done something bad Mrs. Ryou?" The eight-year-old asked worriedly. Mrs. Ryou hummed happily over the drone of the engine of their jeep, letting Rose take the medium sized cardboard box from the front seat greedily, as she slid a newspaper out of sight quietly onto the floor. Yafeu caught a glimpse of the title with curious eyes, reading the bold black print._

**_PLANT BURGLER STRIKES AGAIN! TAKES LAST OF RARE EGYPTAIN ITEMS!_**

_"You two haven't," she answered him with a smile, "But I, on the other hand, will be in a lot of trouble if I don't get these things back soon…"_

_"WHOA! Hey Yafeu! Look at these things!" Rose exclaimed as she pulled out a small golden ball, an eye identical to Yafeu's puzzle on it, glinting in the sunlight. Taking a further look inside, Yafeu also smiled a golden necklace, a rod, a key, and a scale. The key was the only thing without an eye printed on it. The boy looked down at his own object and the others, wondering about what Mrs. Ryou had said earlier. _

_"…I will get my puzzle back afterwards…right?" he asked her fearfully. He had made a promise to Grandpa on his death bed to take care of it. His loyalty to his Grandpa was immeasurable. As far as Yafeu was concerned, he'd give his life to see the puzzle was always safe. He also knew Yami felt the same about him. With both their wills combined. No one could stop them._

_ Mrs. Ryou gave him a shocked and slightly hurt look._

_"Of course you will! I wouldn't EVER make you use the puzzle if you weren't going to have it back right after. I just need to borrow it for a moment, Hun."_

_"What for, Aunty?" Rose chimed in, studying the necklace now, wondering if it would make her look any prettier. The woman smiled a small toothed grin and spoke with a happy note._

_"I just need to put it in a special place, sweet heart, with all the others."_

_"Are they a set?" Yafeu asked, a puzzled look in his eyes._

_"Uh-huh. A very special set, actually."_

_"Is that why you'd be in trouble if you don't get them back?" he asked further, his tune suspicious. _

_"Yes, sir. But don't you worry, when I say I'm going to do something, it is a promise. I never break a promise. No matter what."_

_"What happens when you put them all in their special places?" Rose queried, stroking the gold delicately with her fingers and smiling up into the rear view mirror. Mrs. Ryou bit her lip and drummed her thumb lightly on the steering wheel, her brow folded as she thought for a moment._

_"Something wonderful."_

_"Wonderful?"_

_"Yes, I will tell you if you swear not to tell anyone what we've done here or going to do…"_

_"I swear!" both children exclaimed at the same time, making the white-haired lady laugh cheerfully._

_"Alright, I'll tell you then. Just keep calm you two…Three wishes will be granted to those who place all the objects in the slots, and the pharaoh shall get his memory back as well as his power." She chuckled lightly at Yafeu's sudden look of fright._

_"Don't worry, that Pharaoh has his memory back, Hun, he took it back before I was born."_

_"If he got his powers, how do you know the wishes will work?"_

_"…I don't really know. Call it faith, I suppose. I just feel it…deep down inside, myself. It's something I just have to try."_

_"Oh…" Rose put the necklace back into the box and carefully put it onto the floor, a thoughtful look twinkling in her eyes. Yafeu watched her like a hawk, ready to go with any thing she wanted to, or felt was right. He would stand by her. He waited for her with a calm mind._

_"What are you going to wish for with your three wishes?" She asked her Aunt soundly, looking with curious eyes. Mrs. Ryou scrunched her eyebrows with confusion spreading over her features for a moment. Then she laughed._

_"Oh no, sweetie. I only need one wish. Yafeu will definitely get a wish and so will you. We each get one wish." Rose's face brightened as she smiled at Yafeu, happy that he wasn't being left out, not that her father or mother ever meant to. They were just very busy all the time, and being an only child will make one very lonely. Yafeu grinned an uncertain beam, not really sure he wanted a wish. Mrs. Ryou obviously missed this since she asked._

_"What will you wish for, Yafeu?"_

_"…I don't think I want anything…"_

_"Sure you do, everyone wants something. What would you want if you could have anything?"_

_"…Well, maybe that my Grandpa is happy with Grandma in heaven. And that Yami and I can talk to them again." He said with a blush. Rose smirked with approval as her Aunt bopped her head._

_"Yes, that is a wonderful wish."_

_"What's yours going to be, Aunty?"_

_"Mine? Don't you want me to hear yours first?"_

_"No. Stop it and tell us." She demanded a playful look in the brown eye but a stern one in the blue. Her Aunt knew not to deny this look unless it was completely necessary. She sighed._

_"Well, I'm going to wish for someone to come back. Someone dear to me."_

_"My Uncle?" Rose asked hopefully. _

_"Hmm. Maybe. If that's what he wants… alright, I've told you my wish. It's your turn." Rose thought for a long moment._

_"Well, if your wish works. I'm going to wish for cousins. I'm so sick of just Yafeu and me playing alone all the time. What do you think Yafeu? Would you like some more people to play with?" Yafeu bit his lip for a moment._

_"Yes, it would be fun to have more friends to play with…" He agreed, swinging his legs impatiently, feeling a bit uncomfortable. He relaxed when the ancient voice drifted into his thoughts again. Mrs. Ryou swallowed a mouthful of air and wetted her lips._

_"…Well, if your Uncle wants that… I think I could help arrange it…but your wish will take some time. If your patient, it will come true, Rose. I promise." _

_"I can wait, Aunty. How long could it take anyway?" The lady chuckled again, a low chuckle that went unheard except for the small oak tree, housed in the small pot, held safely in the cup holder. The half-lie could drift in the air for awhile, but yes she'd get her desire eventually. The woman smiled at the soft hums of the tree and patted it lightly._

_"Is Beore Jr. talking again Aunt Kaede?" Rose asked, humming softly now. Aunty Kaede glanced over her shoulder at her niece._

_"Yes, he is."_

_"What's he say?" The smile widened on the lady's face._

_"He says 'Everything will soon be magnificent, again, for a time. It will be an era of peace. Enjoy it.' You do have a way of damping people's fun don't you…" The tree bristled its small red leaves, making the retiring plant-thief laugh harder._

_"Yes, I know you're right. Just hang on, we're nearly there…"_

The present world jerked back into live, making the white haired girl watch the world slide back into her eyes in a dizzying jerk. Yami and Yugi stared at her with wondering eyes at her astonished expression plastered to her face.

_"…the light shall seek the darkness in a thief's clothing. When the seven objects of power are untied, the one thing most desired of the heart will be granted, and balance will be restored…"_

As the pieces of the ancient riddle clicked into place, and the teen grinned a devious full toothed smile, one that mimicked T.R's in a way only he would understand. It was so very simple, now, and her depression was shattered and dispersed into the blackness of herself, just waiting to be unlocked. The darkness taught to her.

"Did it help, Kaede?" Yami asked her carefully, confused by her smile.

"Yes, it did. Thank you Yami. Thank you Yugi. I have to go now." The smile lingered on her face as she walked back into the pouring rain, the wind combing her hair with extreme gentleness. Yes, everything was so clear now; her path was bright and true. She had a lot of work ahead of her…about fifteen years of it in fact. Still, it didn't seem that long compared to how T.R had struggled to solve that riddle.

Yes, it would all come right in the end. She knew it, walking on the sidewalk, her home looming closer and closer, the great apple tree whispering to her on the winds.

After all, it is said that love has no bounds…what's a couple of millennia between ages anyway?

Book Dragon: "…And cut and print. That's it! I really hope you enjoyed my story and thank every one dearly for their support and informative reviews. They were very encouraging and I learned from them. Thank you so much!"


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